CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(l\Aonograplis) 


ICMH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


Canadian  Ihatituta  for  Historical  MIcrorsproductiont  /  Instltut  Canadian  d*  mlcroraproductiom  hittoriqua* 


1995 


TMhnicil  ami  Bitalio«raphie  Notat  /  Notai  tachniquas  at  bibliograptiiqiiai 


Tha  Initituta  hai  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  bait  orlfiiwi 
COPY  a>ailabla  for  filming.  Faaturat  of  this  copy  whidi 
may  ba  MMiofraphieally  uniqua.  whicti  may  altar  any 
of  tha  imatas  in  tha  rapraduction.  or  w:iich  may 
lignifieantly  changa  tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara 
chadcad  balow. 


0Colourad  eo«ari/ 
Couaartura  da  eoulaur 

□  Coaari  damagad/ 
Couaaftura  andommagia 

□  Conn  rattoiad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Coinartura  rastauria  at/ou  pallicuMa 

□  Coaar  titia  mining/ 
La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 

nColourad  mapi/ 
Cartas  gtegraphiquas  an 


0 


Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  Mack)/ 
Enera  da  eoulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  Maua  ou  noira) 


0  Colourad  platat  and/or  lllustrationi/ 
PlaiKhas  at/ou  illustrations  an  eoulaur 


D 
D 


D 


D 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
RaM  anc  d'autrat  doeuments 

Tight  binding  may  eausa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 
La  reliure  serrie  paut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distonion  la  long  de  la  marge  intarieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoratian  may  appear 
within  tha  text.  Whenever  passible,  these  ham 
been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  sa  peut  que  certainas  pages  blanches  ajouttas 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissant  dans  la  texte, 
mail,  lorsqua  cela  etait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  ate  f  ilmiat. 


Additional  comments:/ 
Commentairas  supplimantairas: 


L'Institut  a  microfilmt  la  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il 
lui  a  M  possible  da  sa  procurer.  Les  details  de  cat 
exemplaire  qui  sent  peut-«tre  uniques  du  point  de  «ue 
bibliographique,  qui  peunnt  modifier  une  image 
reproduita,  ou  qui  peunnt  axiger  una  modification 
dans  la  mMuda  normale  de  fibnage  sent  indiquis 
ci-dessous. 

□  Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□  Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagias 

□  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restauries  et/ou  pellicultes 

0  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dicolor«as.  tachetias  ou  piquaes 

□  Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditaehies 

0Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

□  Ouelity  of  print  varies/ 
Oualiti  inigala  da  I'impression 

□  Continuous  pagination/ 
Pagination  continue 

□  Includes  indexles)/ 
Comprend  un  (des)  index 

Title  on  header  taken  from:  / 
Le  litre  de  I'en-tlte  provient: 

□  Title  page  of  issue/ 
Page  de  litre  de  la  livraison 

□  Caption  of  issue/ 
Titra  de  dipart  de  la  livreison 


D 


Masthead/ 

Cinerique  (periodiquesi  de  la  livraison 


This  item  is  filmed  at  tha  reduction  retio  checked  below/ 

Ca  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  rUuction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 


m 


20X 


SX 


xx 

[_ 

The  copy  tilmad  har*  has  baan  raprsduead  thank* 
10  tha  ganaroalty  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'axamplaira  filmt  fut  raproduit  grlea  1  la 
S*n*rotit*  da: 

Blbllothequa  natlonale  du  Canada 


Tha  imagaa  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  eonsidsring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  eonwaet  spacifieationa. 


Las  imaga*  suivantas  ont  ttt  raproduitas  ivac  I* 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tsnu  da  la  condiiion  *| 
da  la  naitat*  da  I'axamplaira  film*,  at  »n 
cenformit*  avae  las  conditions  du  conirat  da 
fllmsga. 


Original  eopias  in  priniad  papar  cowars  ara  fllmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  eovar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  eopias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  imprassion. 


Las  axamplairaa  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  »n 
papiar  aat  imprimaa  sont  film*s  sn  commsncant 
par  la  pramlar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  Is 
darniira  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprsinta 
d'imprassion  ou  d'illustration,  soit  psr  la  tacond 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  Isa  auiras  axamplairas 
originsux  sont  filmto  an  commantant  par  la 
pramiira  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprsinta 
d'impraasion  ou  d'illuatration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  dsrniAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  taiia 
amprsinta. 


Tha  laat  racordad  frama  on  aach  mieroflcha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  — ^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  appliaa. 


Un  das  symbolas  suivants  spparaitra  sur  la 
darnitra  imaga  da  chaqua  microfiche,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbols  ■^  signifia  "A  SUIVRE".  la 
symbols  V  signifia  "FIN". 


Maps,  platas.  charts,  stc.  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarant  raduction  ratios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraly  includad  in  ona  sxposura  ara  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  cornar,  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  framas  as 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrams  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Las  cartas,  planehas,  tablaaux.  ate.  pauvant  atra 
filmts  i  das  taux  da  raduction  diffiranis. 
Lorsqus  la  documant  ast  trap  grsnd  pour  itrs 
raproduit  an  un  saul  clichi.  il  ast  film*  t  psrtir 
da  I'angla  supAriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  *  droita. 
at  da  haut  an  bas,  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagas  nicassaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivsnts 
illustrant  la  mtthoda. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICtOCOfV   aiSOlUTION   TBI  CHAIT 

(ANSI  and  ISC  TEST  CHART  No,  2) 


_^  APPLIED    IIVHG^Jn 

Sar-  16S3  Ecsl   Main   Street 

B^SS  ?^5!'f*'"''-   Ne*   York         U609       uSA 

^.^  (^16)   482  -  OJOO  -  Phone 

^=  (^16)   288-5989-  Ta* 


SHE  STEPS  OF  HONOR  jj* 


'^m 


<#« 


UASU\     K-JN^Y 


(VJ  \  li    SI' 


>  -^ 


au 


John  a.met!g£r,'; 


The  Steps  of  Honor 


L 


I 


By    Basil    King 

Author  ol "  Ul  N«  Mm  Pni  Awndar " 
"  In  thi  Cardan  of  Charily  " 


'  A  tout  pcchc— miicricordc ! 


-Old  Franch  taring 


New  York  and  London 

Harper  &  Brothers   Publishers 
1904 


Copyrijlit,  ,v>t,  by  Hahp..  s  Bkotkhs. 

^U  rigAii  rtttrvtd. 
Published  April,  1904 


With  sincere  affection  to 

M.  B.  F. 
The  most  loyal  of  friends 

J* 


The    Steps    of  Honor 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


PGArHA  sat  at  her  little  desk  with  the 

\  ^u^'^u   T  ^""^  *^^  K*l'^e<^  ornaments. 

The  hand  with  which  she  held  the 

.pen  was  raised.     She  was  evidently 

j  thinking  out  her  sentence  before  put- 

si.e„tlyfroVtheToo',l°a7''"-     ^'^'^  ^'"''^^^  »>- 
der^S^-S'^S-ught.     -Xwon. 

trift.  "''""  *i°  ^''^•''  ^^°  ^-^^  °°t  n»«ch  reverence 
tSy^rTlndlnVr  '".  ^"^^  presencr^fThTt 

was  a  nouse  in  which  there  were  no  dltobinf  ele 
or   Dreak  them   or  put   them  out   of  order       tL 

own  walls,  that  had  caused  Agatha  Royal  to  spend  so 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

much  pains  on  her  surroundings.     People  in   Old 
Cambndge  thought  it  a  pity  that  she  should  pull  to 
pieces  the  old  house  her  father  had  left  her  and  her 
great-grandfather  had  built;  but  when  she  crossed 
her   own   threshold   Agatha   had   almost   no   other 
occupation.    As   she   was   thoroughly   modem   she 
cared  for  nothing  but  the  antique.     Whether  or  not 
It  was  exactly  appropriate  was  a  subject  she  did  not 
go  into.    The  hall  was  "Old  Colonial,"  the  Ubrary 
tnipire,     the  dining-room   "Chippendale."    The 
drawing-room  in  which  she  sat  was  "Louis  Quinze  " 
or  as  nearly  "Louis  Quinze"  as  the  conditions  of 
American  archite^ure  of  the  late  eighteenth  century 
penmtted  her  to  make  it.    She  herself,  with  her 
nght  hand  slightly  raised,  and  the  lace  sleeve  of  her 
flowered  silk  house-gown  falling  back  from  the  fore- 
arm and  wnst,  was  not  unlike  some  beauty  of  that 
court  in  which  Marie  Leczi  ska  and  the  Marquise  de 
Pompadour  divided  the  honors  and  authority. 

Do  I  behold  Mrs.  Montagu  or  Madame  de  Sta61?" 
Persis  inquired,  after  she  had  stood  for  a  long  minute 
in  the  doorway. 

"Oh  come  in,  Persis,"  Agatha  cried,  turning  with 
a  quick  smile  "I  was  just  writing  a  note  to  Mr. 
Wonaston._    If  you're  going  home  you  might  take  it 

"I'm  nothing  if  not  obi.gi-?,"  Persis  returned, 
advancing  into  the  room  and  sinking  upon  a  gilded 
sofa.  She  did  not  sit,  nor  yc  did  she  recline^  she 
drooped  into  the  seat,  twining  over  it,  so  to  speak, 
much  as  a  bit  of  climbing  vine  might  fall  upon  a 
bench  in  a  garden.  Mrs.  Arlington  Revere  was 
accustomed  to  say  that  Persis  WoUaston  was  so  thin 


The   Steps    of   Honor 

that  she  couldn't  sit  uoripht     ti,;. 
true,  for  on  occasinn.  »     •  .     ""  "^^  scarcely 

the  straightest  f  her  ^nv  '""'"^  ''°''^  ""^'^  ^^^ 
and  her  attitudes  s  nuour.  '"*'.  "^"^  "eTent-like 
-.f^ple  as  a'SrarL^r  i„°r-rr''^''- 
^  D.d  you  con:e  for  anything  r  Aga^hSd.  as  she 

at.any  ti.e.     lUt^STha^^Vs-    ^°" 

AuniVnTyVn^rt^Tsf-     ^^"^    ^"'^   ^^''t. 
this  evening:"  "'^  y°"  *°  =°«e  to  dinner 

r^,sending  rather  i^^^^ntt ^:er:;°£Toira: 

A^^l^nt^SSL^^l^'f.'^-^-'^to 

son  to  bring  the  two  vo«,^^     ^      .""'*  *°  ^^"^  P^""- 

"  Important""    Pe^u    ^  ^°"™  *^^«  to  face. 
We  hardly  ever  hear. Z^P"^*^"*-     "That's  good, 
adjective'can  be  :S'''"|*° -hich  th«t  exiting 

quested  Uncle  HectSi  to  TelfS '^^  ^°"'-  - 
you  morethafrretMU^.^-  ^^^'  "''^  '^^^^^ 

Thererj!:r„*^t.TilI''°"''  ^^"  -"'i-ension. 
teen  more  thaf  to  know  t  ^r?""^  P^"^""  °^  «*"«- 
fcom  her  eS''  ^"^^thing  that's  been  kept 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

"I'm  not  sure  that  1  ought  to  say  it  "  AMfh.  «», 

And  yet  I'm  dying  to  tell  some  one."     '"""""P*" 

assuS\T'"r;e"tT'°'^^  ""''''  ''^^'"  Persi. 
«surea  ner.       I  ve  had  secrets  confided  to  me  that 

moJow-''"*  ""'"^  *°  '^  »  secret-not  after  to- 

way^;Klvtrm;lLlt''f.---°^^^^ 
well,  that  s  it." 

stSe?^ist:"Xs?s^.— ^ 
..aip  rtotxrrs"*  ■•  ^-^''^  - 

onlv  ' w'  "°  '^^'°"  "''y  ^  ^''°»W.  1  suppose      Ifs 
thtk-"*   ^°""   *--ty-five.   and   I'dVgun  to 

'■OW  IZ^  ^"."u**  '"^''^■"  As^tha  laughed. 

Why  hope,  Persis,  dear?"  ^ 

4 


The   Steps   of   Honor 

anii^T*"*  ^  ^"'^  *""*  *'"'*  "  y"  did  you'd  Step  in 
and  take  some  one  I  was  thinking  of  for  myself^he 
choice  isn't  very  large  or  very  varied  as  it  is-" 

And  were  you  thinking  of  any  one  in  particular?" 

thre^""     '"  P""*''"'"-     ^  ^^'  thinking  of  two  or 

"Any  one  of  whom  would  have  done?" 

Uh  no;  for  any  one  of  whom  I  should  have  done 

-so  they  said-but  for  none  of  whom  I  hid  that 

be  the  cluef  element  in  such  a  decision.    StiU   I'm 
ra'grare;.-- ^"  "  ^^^  ^^  °-  «'-  -^°«  »X 

with"a°:mt '°"  '"°"  '■"*  '""^  '""  A^^*"^  -'^^d. 

"I  don't  know;  I'm  only  afraid.     You're  the  kind 

°!  P^«°"  ^h°  "flv^ays  gets  the  best  of  everJtLg- 

Not"o'nirhafrr  '*r"  ^"°"«'^'  y°"  ^ear  olSX. 
h^^Il  ""^^^  5^°"  ^^'y  ''«»  °«.  but  nature 

has  made  you  very  good-looking—" 

terrupTel"'"  '""^'  *°°'  ^^'-  ^^^^"  ^^-tha  in- 

if  r  nni*''^^  '^^•"  ^^"'^  admitted,  calmly;  "but  if  so 
t  s  only  in  a  morning-glory  sort  of  way  My  k^H 
looks,  such  as  they  are.  won't  last  till  the  sun'^is^S^ 
while  you'll  keep  yours  till  you're  eighty.  But.  gZ' 
gracious,  don't  let  us  talk  about  that  now    wh^n 

ZlTh™^"^  "°*  '"""^^  *^**  ^  ""^ght  to  tell  you." 

Agatha  rose  in  some  agitation  and,  walking  to  a 

window,  looked  out  towards  the  Harvard  ha"fs  iLt 

visible  through  the  yellowing  October  elms         ^    * 

S 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

vZ^-  n*  "*"*  "■*'"  ^^y  I  "hould  be  cracy  to 
know.    pe„,3  called  after  her.    "Beside..  iHt  L'? 

to-SaV?'^"'*  to-morrow,  why  .hould  it  tZl 

"It's  only  this,"  Agatha  answered,  turning  from 

"ifsTnf':^'^  ?""'?<"  ''^-k  towards  Per^agJ^^ 

Its  only  this,  that  I  promised  him  I  wouIdn-"tdi 

any_one  t.ll  he  had  spoken  to  Mr.  Wollaston  hiS! 

"Well,  nobody  considers  me  any  one.  so  that  need 
be  no  obstacle  to  your  confidence." 

into  r*"'  *^"  r"'  ^"'"•"  ^K^*'"*  *>«"*  Oft.  sinking 
into  the  arm-chair  from  which  she  had  risen     "Buf 
you  mustn't  tell  Mr.  or  Mr..  Wollaston  tTl  you  hea 
'Z""  i^'T'"'^"'-     ^^''  Mr.  Anthony  Muir." 
Mr.  Anthony-who?"  Persis  cried,  though  she  had 

Yes  Persis,"  Agatha  said,  with  eyes  downcast. 
Well,  I  never  did  I" 

venwTil'  ''•'"'*  °"f  °^  *'"'  *''°  °'  t'''-"?"  Agatha 
ventured,  glancng  up  for  an  instant. 

hoo«?A?'r'°'J?'  "°l  ^  "'•""''^  "«^«'-  have  lifted  my 

tS  he  I  ..^"'^'^''^  ''^°"' ''™-  Aunt  Fanny 
thinks  he  IS  the  greatest  writer  since  Emerson  I 
only  know  him  from  having  danced  with  himTnce-" 
sighed'  beautifully,    doesn't    he?"    Agatha 

T  w""!"^"'*^'^-     '^"'^  ^^  ^^^  ^"'^h  lovely  blue  eyes 
I  hate  to  see  a  man  have  blue  eves,  as  a  rule;  but 

Vi^c^:  luT"^'''-  H^  ^ways  reminds  me  of  a 
Vikmg--wjth  his  long,  fair  mustache." 

bo  he  does  me."  Agatha  assented,  simply 

6 


The    Steps    of   Honor 
A  minuie  or  two  passed  in  silence. 

l^^T  ^°"'"  "1,  """"yins  Wm,"  Persi,  said,  at 
last,  w^th  an  unusually  serious  expression,  "just  be- 
cause he  has  written  an  able  and  successful  b^k  •' 

ishment.     "Why  should  you  think  of  it?" 

Uh.  only  because  you're  ambitious  and  pr  ud  and 

TarS"-    ""  'r'""'  """^  ""^  ''°"«  som'^tWngTe 
You  re  quite  wrong.  I  assure  you."  Aeatha  «  H 

oTp'n^e        "''  "'«"'  ''''^''  bee/of  •eittr.HodTsty 

is  out'orfh""'!,-"''"*"'''  "y°"  "'«'  *°  '^"°«  that  he 
IS  out  of  the  ordinary  run  of  men." 

I  suppose  I  may  admit  that." 

"And  if  he  hadn't  been  out  of  the  ordinary  run  of 

nien  you  wouldn't  have  had  for  him  the  seni^o7con 

shyl?  ^^^'°  """^  ^'  '""'^  "'  ^""^  "'""""t 

"You  needn't  be  under  any  anxiety  about  that  " 
she  said,  with  a  half-laugh  ' 

I  r4'you^^''"  "'''''  ~nded;  "and  oh.  how 
"Why  envy?" 

Sf?^"—  ----- 

Dest  and  yet  I  haven't  succeeded." 

Isn't  there  any  one  you  like.  Persis?" 

th.  ,1T^\      "*  "'''"S  ''"'*  «"™gh.     If  you  haven't 
the  sense  of  conviction  one  man  is  just  like  anXr 
I  ve  tned  to  fancy  myself  going  ofl  to  keep  ho^se  i^^^^ 
this  one  and  that  one-who've  been  wilHng  eno^ 
7 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


•oon  a.  possible      She  kno™         "'^*°'  *  '"'«'»  « 
my  «tua«on  who  either  mn-  7''  '°  """"y  P^"  >" 

;■>«>,  befo.:  Je^rrrt":  „T  Nor;r„t°^ 
reifrs^„rs:r;ri?iir°^^'°*'-^- 

of  the  two,  I  should  rather  UkeTtT'^*"  ^'^^ 
would  be  the  equivalent  of  rSail^^?^"^"    ^'"* 

brokl  ■"  "..ttat  mr^°  ?"'  °^  *'■''*•'  ^«f«t'>« 
"AhW«T.      •    *•    I  m  twenty-five— " 

beaulJ'Slt'^aKa^'lr'f*"'  *?'«  "^""^  °^ 
whether  you're  twenty-five "'  fiftv^T'^'*''"" 
lines  and  features  and  dignity  ivl  Ll  t""'  «°* 
plemon,"  "ignJiy.     i  ve  only  got  a  com- 

;;But  thafs  like  a  rose-petal." 

wharc^^^nrbt'strt';!*'"-  ^*  '^'^•*'«'*'» 

at  my  age  she  wIm  iusf^il.  ^"'  "'*•  S''«  "^^  that 
pretty-l4  au^  n^  J  f*''  ^"'*  ""  '^""'^  and 
that  [he  rZTTLi^-m^^  **'"  notice^and 
riety  of  Kood  lonwlr         "'^"^^  was  that  that  va- 

sheLdSckedaScW°?''r"«''"*"*'«^-     B^^^^e 

stout,  and  her  rose  pet^^^^^^^^^^  "j'^^n"  '^"  ^^"^  ^^ 

flower  at  noonday  ^Thit  °  .^  ^^'°"  ''"''  ^'^'''^  ""'^  « 
«ay.     1  hat,  she  warns  me,  is  to  be  my 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"Just  wait,"  Agatha  laughed. 

laugh.  ^  ^''*  hesitated,  with  a  nervoui 

•'•  No:„°  t^h^.'^"  "  "•"*'"  ^«"'"'  -PP'^'^- 
"Who,  then?" 

well   on  second  thoughts,  I  think  X  won't  •>  .h 

in  W  £. '°"  """^^  *""  ""* ■"  A««''''  --ted,  rising 

Persis  laughed. 
^^J- 1  thought  it  must  be-Paul  Dunster,"  she  .aid.  at 

see^'w tee"™'  """^  ^'"^'y-  -  that  Persis  did  not 

sudd^^^/d^iSToU."^"^^  ''''''"''•  "-  •-S'^ter 
There  was  a  minute's  pause  before  she  spoke  again 

9 


The    Steps   of  Hon 


or 


No  dear;  how  could  I  be  cross?    Only  there  are 
some  things  one  really  oughtn't  to  joke  about." 

tihe  came  from  the  window  and  they  met  in  the 
centre  of  the  drawing-room.  ^  * 

"Now,"  Agatha  said,  slipping  her  arm  about  the 
younger  girl's  waist,  "run  home  with  my  note,  and 
above  all,  don  t  say  a  word  about  what  I've  told  you  "' 

Hn^  /T  '•*'?"^'^  *''^y  '""^^'^  towards  the  outer 
door  As  Persis  descended  the  steps  leading  towards 
the  street  she  looked  back  penitently  '^°'^»™s 

"I'm  sorry  I  spoke  of  Paul,"  she  said,  almost  husk- 
ily.  with  a  shadow  like  that  of  tears  in  her  big,  blue 
eyes^    "I  shouldn't  have  done  it  only  I'm  sure  he 
asked  you.     I  suppose  you  didn't  feel-" 
_     Any  sense  of  conviction,"  Agatha  said,  hastily. 

J!ll  '  ^"t*  '*■  •  ^°'''  "•"  °*^-  ^""^  <^°n't  let  me  hear 
anything  about  it  again." 

of  iS  ^y  ^^-  ^u"^^  '*'"  ^'™'  ^"^^"-  ^*h  » touch 
of  indignation  in  her  tone,  but  before  she  could  get 
any  further  Agatha  had  closed  the  door. 


Ill 


n 

PT  half-past  four  Mrs.  Wollaston  trip- 
Iped    daintily    across    the    Common. 

w  ,Tf,   ^'^  '"*''  ^^^^  light  lifting  of 
[her  httle  person  which,  in  her  youth 
jhad   been   considered    birdhke.     Her 
*he  styles  of  xSer^r''^"*"^  *^*  ^^"'^^  ^^^^  to 

;'rr.  h,::Jrwr„t'r^•"''•''•"" 
nity.  and  coquetry  too  simple  and  too  native  to  nJ^ 
tonmg  down  by  time  native  to  need 

its  severity  or  nakedness.     Now ^rma^v'"^  *°  ^'*1 

afternoon  was  in  the  air.     OvrthtTaXstrer  th 

II 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

Charles  and  through  the  Gothic  aisles  of  elms  the  sun 
was  throwing  slanting  shafts  of  glory,  that  gilded 
common  things  and  set  the  mind  to  thinking  of  the 
ught  that  never  was  on  land  or  sea. 

It  was  Mrs.  WoUaston's  favorite  hour  and  favorite 
season  for  taking  her  daily  walk.     She  had  the  Amer- 
ican s  love  of  sunshine  and  the  elderly  woman's  sym- 
pathy with  autumn.     More  than  that,  she  had  the 
Cambridge   lady's   pleasure  in  coming  home   when 
term  begins  and  college  opens  and  the  cheerful  life 
has  started  to  flow  anew  through  the  Harvard  halls 
It  had  been  pleasant  to  go  to  her  cottage  at  the  sea- 
side in  July;  but  it  was  pleasant  to  come  back  again 
to  books  and  friends  and  fireside  and  all  the  inter- 
ests of  a  hfe  in  which  she  had  grown  up  and  was  quiet- 
ly growing  old.     It  was  with  a  distinct  sensation  of 
contentment  that  she  picked  her  way  along  the  path 
across  the  Common.     With  the  thumb  and  index- 
finger  of  her  left  hand  she  lifted  her  dress  in  front- 
while  in  her  right  hand,  with  the  same  characteristic 
pnm  precision  she  carried  a  letter  as  though  it  were 
a  flower. 

When  she  passed  the  Soldiers'  Monument  she 
stopped.  She  was  in  sight  of  Massachusetts  Hall 
and  could  see  when  Mr.  Wollaston  came  out.  That 
was  all  she  needed.  She  did  not  care  to  go  too  near 
and  show  that  she  was  waiting  for  him.  She  liked 
to  keep  up  the  fiction  of  finding  herself  accidentally  in 
his  way.  That  was  how  it  used  to  happen  when  they 
were  engaged,  in  1861.  He  had  received  his  first  ap- 
pointment then  and  she  was  living  with  her  parents 
in  one  of  the  big,  old  houses  at  the  farther  end  of 
Brattle  Street.     Somehow— she  never  could  explain 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

by  what  fortuitous  chain  of  tiny  accidents— she  was 
often  passing  up  from  Kirkland  Street  or  Harvard 
Square  just  about  that  hour  ir  the  afternoon  when 
the  young  instructor  came  out  of  Harvard  Yard.  It 
was  inevitable  that  he  should  walk  home  with  her; 
and  it  was  then  that  were  said  many  of  the  things 
she  now  kept  laid  away,  scented  with  memory's  best 
lavender,  in  the  treasure-l  luse  of  her  heart.  After 
they  were  married,  and  lived  near  the  Common,  it  was 
still  moi.  likely  that  the  small  hazards  of  daily  life 
should  throw  them,  just  at  this  hour,  in  each  other's 
•way;  and  many  a  time,  during  the  last  thirty  years 
and  more,  they  had  walked  round  and  round  and 
round  the  village  green  of  eariy  Cambridge  days,  be- 
fore stopping  at  their  own  garden  gate.  She  never 
admitted,  even  to  herself,  that  she  went  to  meet  him. 
That  would  have  trenched  upon  her  deUcate,  old-world 
reserve.  It  was  always  a  chance— she  was  on  an 
errand,  or  she  was  returning  from  a  call;  when  there 
was  no  other  excuse  she  was  driven  to  the  subterfu-re 
that  there  was  more  shade  or  more  sunshine,  accoij- 
ing  to  the  season,  in  going  home  that  way. 

This  afternoon,  however,  she  carried  her  reason  in 
her  hand.  Persis  had  brought  Agatha's  note  and 
had  delivered  it  with  so  much  mystery  that  Mrs. 
WoUaston  was  sure  it  was  important.  As  to  the  con- 
tents, she  had  questioned  Persis  in  that  discreet  way 
in  which  there  is  as  little  betrayal  of  curiosity  as  pos- 
sible; but  Persis  was  loyal  to  her  word  to  Agatha 
Mrs.  WoUaston  was  just  as  well  pleased  that  it  should 
be  so,  for  it  gave  her  an  obvious  reason  for  going  to 
meet  her  husband.  It  was  evident,  she  argued,  that 
if  the  letter  were  important  no  time  should  be  lost  in 
13 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

wL?sI7could  S' °  «rTh°'rt"'''  *''«^^^°'«=- 
the  Common  nearest  to  E  i,  *''^*  P""^""  "^ 
making  apologies  t^'her  SS^cT^r'  "^*'°"* 
now  one  way,  now  another  Act  .  ^  sauntered 
the  two  churches  nearest  the  r  *""'"''  *°^"ds 
silently  The  Autocrat"  lines  onT^"  '""^  'J"°*«'' 
softly  as  she  recalled  the  rf.!  I  ^l""'  ^""^  ^'S^ed 
-d  her  the  PoemtL^eltTp^Sr^  '=°'"^  ^° 

une  seems  to  warH  aZ,t 
The  dead  ^haTlferjeTn;"^^^" 

who  h.  hifSr^Sint^ff  ^'"^  ^-  -  one 

tion.  lies  buried  ^th  a  kv.^t  k  ^T'"^'"^  *°  t^^'''- 
at  her  feet  in  the  graved  olrwvt''  f'^  "  ^'^^« 
and  Nun  watch  and  pray  together       "         ''°"°'' 

sninf  ^trdt;^'';rf:oth"''^"i-'*''  ^  '^^'^- 

whether  the  two  slaves  dS  tn      "^"^  ,'°  "^"^  "'''« 

day  as  she.  or  whether^Ka^Z^dtem  to^ 

'4 


The    Steps   of  Honor 


few  mmutes  later  the  bell  on  Harvard  Hall  h!!!    * 

Sta  LteraS:-L°""''"'-t'  ^'^^  ^'^-^  "^ 
and  gray  hair^rd"  "^  ed  ^LT  Ve°"^'  'T^ 
sight  of  the  stalwart,  upright  buo^'^'"'^"'  '°^* 
schcjastio  fa„,e  who  hal"bS  tweTJ  five^Lf 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

she  saw  him  now  there  still  beat  in  her  heart  some 
echo  of  the  emotion  with  which  she  welcomed  his  ap- 
proach in  the  year  when  they  W(  e  engaged. 

He  walked  with  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground  and  did 
not  look  up  until  she  was  before  him. 

"Ah!"  he  exclaimed!*  "Did  you  happen  to  be  go- 
ing by?"  He,  too,  kept  up  the  theory  of  accidental 
meetmgs,  perhaps  knowing  nothing  of  his  wife's  sim- 
ple arts. 

"No,  dear,"  she  answered,  with  what  for  her  was 
boldness.  "I  came  on  purpose.  Persis  has  just 
brought  this  note  from  Agatha.  She  said  it  was  im- 
portant, so  I  thought  you  would  like  to  have  it  at  once. " 

He  took  it  and  turned  it  over,  thrusting  out  his 
under-lip  with  an  expression  which  every  artist  in 
the  university  knew  how  to  caricature. 

"Hmph!"  he  ejaculated,  as  he  turned  to  walk 
homeward  beside  her.     "More  trouble,  I  suppose." 

"I  don't  know  why  she  should  give  you  trouble. 
Hector.     She  never  has." 

"She  always  has.  As  girls  go,  I  suppose  she's  a 
good  girl — " 

"A  very  good  girl.  Hector;  a  good,  fine,  noble- 
hearted  girl." 

"Oh,  I  dare  say,  I  dare  say.  You'd  say  that  of 
Fredegonde  herself;  but  I  contend  that  the  best  of 
girls  IS  but  labor  and  sorrow  to  a  man  who  doesn't 
like  'em." 

"But  you  used  to,  Hector."  Mrs.  WoUaston  pro- 
tested, with  a  smile  and  a  deepening  of  tint. 

"I've  got  beyond  that  stage,  and  so  have  you,  my 
dear.     If  you  were  still  young  and  pretty,  I  shouldn't 
be  half  as  fond  of  you  as  I  am." 
t6 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"If  that's  a  compliment,  dear,  I  suppose  I  ought  to 
hke  it.  But  aren't  you  going  to  read  your  letter? 
Agatha  may  have  something  important  to  say." 

He  tore  the  envelope  open  and,  as  his  eyes  hastily 
scanned  the  lines,  he  uttered  a  quick  exclamation. 

"What  on  earth  does  she  mean?"  he  cried,  turning 
sharply  to  his  wife. 

"I  could  tell  that  better,  dear,"  she  answered, 
gently,  "if  I  knew  what  she  says." 

"Well,  Usten  to  this,"  he  went  on: 

'"Dear  Mr.  Wollaston. — I  have  a  wonderful  piece  of 
news  for  you.  I  am  not  going  to  be  a  trouble  to  you  any 
more.  I  am  engaged  to  be  married.  I  shall  tell  you  tr 
whom  when  we  meet — that  is,  if  he  has  not  already  done  so. 
With  warmest  love  to  Mrs.  Wollaston,  believe  me,  yours 
ever  affectionately,  Agatha  Royal.' 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  that'" 

"It  depends  on  him,"  Mrs.  Wollaston  answered, 
cautiously.     "If  it's  Paul  Dunster — " 

"  Paul  Dunster  or  anybody  else  v/ill  do  for  me,"  the 
old  man  cried,  with  a  glee  that  a  stranger  would  have 
called  wicked.  "The  man  who  takes  her  off  my 
hands  will  have  my  benediction,  whoever  he  may  be. 
I  never  understood  what  sin  I  had  committed  that 
merited  my  being  saddled  with  other  people's  chil- 
dren. If  it  had  been  boys  I  could  have  borne  it  better. 
But  girls!" 

"You've  only  had  one.  Hector— that  is,  besides 
Persis,  who  is  your  niece." 

"She  couldn't  have  caused  me  more  anxiety  if  she 
had  been  ten." 

"And  her  father  was  your  oldest  friend." 
17 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

"He  couldn't  have  served  me  aworse  turn  if  he  had 
been  my  oldest  enemy." 

"Agatha  is  such  a  sensible  girl,  too,  that  all  you've 
had  to  do  has  been  to  consent  to  the  plans  she  has 
made  for  herself." 

"It  isn't  work  that  breaks  a  man  down,  my  dear- 
it  s  responsibility.  She  has  managed  to  take  pretty 
good  care  of  herself;  but  if  anything  had  gone  wrong 
with  her  or  her  money  I  should  have  been  to  blame 
Now  at  least.  I  shall  have  some  peace  of  mind.' 
We  11  hasten  the  wedding  and  then  I  shall  spend  mv 
declining  years  in  a  well-earned  serenity." 

"I  should  think  your  serenity  would  depend  a  good 
deal  on  the  sort  of  man  she  married." 

"No,  no;  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  that 
Shes  twenty. five.  She's  independent.  If  I  could 
pick  out  a  man  and  make  her  fall  in  love  with  him  I 
should  have  done  it  long  ago.  It's  all  one  to  me  =^ 
shes  taken  a  fancy  to  a  chimney-sweep,  so  long  as 
she  gets  herself  off  my  hands." 

"Of  course.  I  know  you  don't  mean  that.  Hector, 
dear;  and  if  it's  Paul  Dunster— " 

"Then  so  much  the  better.  But  it's  nothing  to 
me.  * 

"But  if  it  is  he,  it  will  be  an  excellent  match  in 
every  way.  His  family  are  well-established  Old  Cam- 
bridge people;  he  has  a  little  money  and  I  suppose 
his  future  m  the  college  is  secure.  He's  been  very  at- 
tentive to  her  for  some  time  past.  I  should  think  she 
couldn  t  do  better." 

"Then  let  us  pray  that  he  may  be  the  man.     He's 
coming  in  to  dinner  to-night  and  I  shall  ask  him." 
Oh,  don  t  do  that.  Hector.    If  it  shouldn't  be  he—" 
i8 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"Then  he'd  only  have  to  say  so." 
"But  you  might  be  stumbling  on  something  you'd 
be  sorry  for.     That  isn't  the  way,  dear.     After  all  it 
may  be  some  one  else,  though  there's  only  one  other 
man  I  can  think  of— Mr.  Anthony  Muir  " 

"What?  That  tall  fellow  in  the  English  Depart- 
ment ?  He's  written  a  book— the  Lord  knows  what— 
that  has  sold  up  in  the  hundreds  of  thousands— the 
Lord  knows  why." 

"It's  a  beautiful  book,  Hector.  I  read  it  while  we 
were  m  the  country.  It's  called  Society  and  Con- 
science. It's  full  of  the  most  striking  passages  and 
the  pomt  of  view  is  quite  novel." 

"And  people  nowadays  like  what's  novel  better 
than  what  s  true." 

"That  isn't  the  case  with  this  book,  Hector  dear 
It  really  js  illuminating  on  some  of  the  most  difficult 
problems  of  our  people.  Not  that  it  solves  anything- 
It  IS  only  very  suggestive." 

,.  t'7^®  ^°°^^  '"*°  '*•"  *•**  °^^  '"*'»  admitted,  gruffly 
It  s  a  better  book  than  I  thought  any  of  our  present 
^rood  of  young  men  could  write,  though  that  isn't 
meant  to  be  high  praise.  There's  something  old- 
fashioned,  too  in  the  style,  as  if  Longfellow  had  con- 
ceived It  and  Hawthorne  written  it  down  and  Emer- 
son corrected  it  and  made  it  unworthy  of  them  all 
Old  Pinckney  was  speaking  of  it  the  other  day  He 
was  very  funny  about  it  in  his  ill-natured  way  He 
said  It  wa«  like  a  jelly  made  of  Josiah  Royce  and 
Jacob  Rus  and  John  Graham  Brooks,  so  that  you  Ret 
the  taste  of  all  three  without  being  able  to  tell  t'other 
from  which." 

"That  doesn't  strike  me  as  very  fair,"  Mrs.  WoUas- 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

??i,"l.**  w"  w'  .P""^'  •*"°"''  "^y-  "  ^of  "ny  part. 
I  think  Mr.  Muir  has  something  of  the  seer  in  him 
just  as  Mr  Emerson  had.  In  reading  his  book  I 
couldn  t  help  feeling  that  we  had  gone  back  to  another 
and  a  better  time.  When  I  first  saw  that  he  was 
rather  taken  up  with  Agatha  I  was  sorry  for  it.     But 

There  he  IS  now.  He's  coming  out  of  Radclifle.  He 
looks  as  If  he  were  walking  to  meet  us  " 

A.  f  !u'P°''^'.  *  *^"'  y°""8  •»»"'  ""ore  elegantly 
dressed  than  assistant  professors  at  Harvard  usually 
are.  crossed  the  road  near  the  Washington  Elm  and 
came  in  their  direction.  In  his  upright  carriage  and 
springing  step  there  was  something  of  the  confidence, 
and  perhaps  more  of  the  elation,  of  success. 

He  s  good-looking,"  Mrs.  WoUaston  said,  as  thev 
watched  him  draw  near.  "You  can  see  h;  isn't  a 
thorough  Amencan,  but  any  giri  might  envy  his 
complexion.     I  suppose  it's  Scotch  " 

n,«lw  ^'^l'"  ^^^.  ""'"  P^'P'^et,"  the  professor  re- 
marked with  an  air  of  ironical  criticism.  "He  has 
bnght,  blue  eyes  and  a  sweeping,  blond  mustache. 
He  wears  a  frock-coat  of  the  best  cut,  a  sleek  silk  hat 
and  gloves  He  carries  a  cane  nicely  ornamented 
with  silver  bands,  arfd  he  swings  it  gracefully  as  he 
walks.  Do  you  remember  the  story  Tennyson  told 
us  of  a  young  friend  of  his  who  liked  Brighton  because 
It  reminded  him  of  Switzerland?  Well,  just  in  the 
same  way  Anthony  Muir  reminds  me  of  Emerson. 
There  never  was  a  prophet,  from  Elijah  the  Tishbite 
downward,  who  was  careful  about  his  clothes  " 

„=  •"  M  ^^^^^u^^^  ^^^^-  '^'°*''««  have  made  men  of 
us,      Mrs.  WoUaston  argued. 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"But,  my  dear,  he  goes  on  to  say,  'They  an  threat- 
ening  to  make  clothes-screens  of  us."  If  I  hadn't 
looked  into  your  Anthony  Muir's  book  myself  I 
should  have  put  him  down  as  one  in  whom  the  men- 
ace was  fulfilled." 

"Which  only  shows,"  Mrs.  Wollaston  said,  with 
that  toss  of  the  head  people  had  called  arch  when  she 
was  young,  "to  what  an  extent  the  best  of  men  can 
be  unjust." 

'There  was  no  time  to  say  more,  for  Anthony  Muir 
had  already  lifted  his  hat  and  held  out  his  hand.     His 
greetings  were  gracefully  offered;  and  if  in  his  manner 
there  was,  from  the  American  point  of  view,  a  slight 
degree  of  over-accentuation,  at  least  there  was  no  ex- 
cess.    If  he  bowed  more  frequently  and  flexibly  than 
the  average  New-Englander,  he  did  so  with  a  defer- 
ence that  pleased  most  women  and  did  not  annoy 
most  men.     In  approaching  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wollaston 
he  took  command  of  the  situation  with  the  readiness 
of  a  person  for  whom  there  is  no  such  thing  as  social 
awkwardness  and  to  whom  all  the  little  nothings 
that  make  the  opening  of  conversation  natural   are 
familiar.     He  was  neither  shy  nor  forward;  he  only 
took  all  the  trouble  upon  himself  and  put  svery  one 
immediately  at  his  ease.     Mrs.  Wollaston  liked  his 
manner;  any  woman  would  have  liked  it.     She  could 
not  understand  why  her  husband  should  thrust  out 
his  under-lip  and  rub  his  hands  with  suppressed  irri- 
tation the  minute  the  young  man  spoke. 

"I'm  glad  I've  met  you,  professor,"  Anthony  Muir 

house""'        °*'^'  "•'«'=^"se  I  was  on  my  way  to  your 

"Well,  you  see  I'm  out,"  Mr. Wollaston  said, bluntly. 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"If  you'll  allow  mc,  Muir  went  on,  i^oring  the 
old  man's  incivility,  TU  come  round  when  you're  in. 
Perhaps  you  and  Mrs.  Wollaston  could  see  me  a  little 
later  in  the  afternoon.  I've  something  rather  im- 
portant to  say — " 

"Say  it  now,  then,"  the  professor  broke  in,  with  n 
touch  of  impatience.  "We're  not  in  a  hurry.  We 
can  listen." 

"It  won't  take  long,"  Muir  said,  smiling,  with  a 
superior  air  of  patience.  "Miss  Royal  asked  me  to 
tell  you." 

Mrs.  Wollaston  gave  a  little  start  and  slipped  her 
hand  through  her  husband's  arm. 

"She  has  promised  to  become  my  wife,"  Muir  con- 
tinued, with  tbo  same  ease  of  manner.  "She  will  tell 
you  herself  later,  but  we  thought  it  best  that  I  should 
do  so  first." 

"We're  not  surprised,"  Mr.  Wollaston  admitted, 
promptly.  "  My  wife  and  I  were  just  talking  of  it  rw. 
you  came  up." 

"One  sees  these  little  things  coming,  Mr.  Muir," 
Mrs.  Wollaston  began,  with  the  intention  of  offering 
their  congratulations. 

"And  we  thought  it  would  be  Paul  Dunster,"  the 
old  man  broke  in.  "She  was  fonder  of  him  than  of 
anybody  else." 
"Oh,  Hector!"  Mrs.  Wollaston  interposed. 
"Well,  she  was,"  he  insisted.  "You  said  so  your- 
self not  fifteen  minutes  ago.  You  said  it  was  the 
best  match  she  could  make  and  you  made  me  say  so, 
too.  Mind  you,  Muir,  I've  got  nothing  to  say  in  the 
matter.  I'm  only  just  telling  you  that  your  news  is 
something  of  a  disappointment  to  my  wife." 


The   Steps    of   Honor 

"PteMe,  Hector,  don't  say  that,"  Mrs.  WoIIaston 
pleaded,  almost  with  tears.  "That  wasn't  the  way  I 
meant  it,  Mr.  Muir,  I  beg  you  to  believe.  I  do  like 
Mr.  Dunster,  and  I  admit  that  I  had  thought  of  him 
in  connection  with  Agatha.  But  ever  since  I've  read 
your  book  I've  seemed  to  know  you  so  much  better; 
and  when  I  say  that  I  hope  you  may  both  be  very 
happy,  I  am  sure  you  will  think  me  quite  sincere." 

She  held  out  her  hand  and  he  bowed  over  it  with 
his  usual  grace. 

"Well,  Muir," the  professor  said,  with  an  air  of  res- 
ignation to  that  which  he  could  not  help,  "I've  got 
nothing  to  say  in  the  matter.  Agatha  is  of  age. 
She's  free  to  pick  for  herself.  I  neither  make  matches 
nor  mar  them.  I  confess  I've  had  my  mind  made  up 
for  Paul  Dunster  ever  since  I  saw  she  was  so  fond  of 
him;  but  probably  he  didn't  ask  her.  If  she  thinks 
you're  good  enough  to  take  his  place,  I  suppose  you 
are.  Anyhow,  we'll  let  by-gones  be  by-gpnes  and 
say  no  more  about  it.  Old  men's  hopes  are*  -lot  very 
sanguine  at  the  best  and  I  never  expected  Agatha 
Royal  to  display  more  sense  than  the  Lord  had  given 
her." 

"I  must  thank  you  that  your  objection  to  me  is  no 
stronger  than  it  is,"  Muir  said,  good-naturedly. 

"Oh,  I've  no  objection,  exactly—"  he  began,  but 
this  time  Mrs.  Wollaston  interfered. 

"Won't  you  come  in  and  dine  with  us  at  seven?" 
she  asked,  rather  tremulously.  "Agatha  is  com- 
ing—" 

'I  And  so  is  Paul  Dunster,"  the  professor  interposed. 

"Yes,  and  so  is  Mr.  Dunster,"  Mrs.  Wollaston 
echoed,  eager  to  cover  up  her  husband's  lack  of  cour- 


The    Stips    of  Honor 

tesy.  "You'U  Uke  that,  Hector,  because  then  you 
can  play  bridge.  Agatha  and  Mr.  Dunster  play  beau- 
tifully, and  I'm  sure  Mr.  Muir,  who  does  everything 
so  well — "  '        * 

"Oh,  I  can  take  a  hand,"  Muir  laughed.  "It's 
very  often  the  bridge  of  asses  and  oftener  still  the 
bridge  of  sighs,  but  still  I  can  make  a  fourth." 

"Which  neither  Persis  nor  I  can  do,"  Mrs.  WoUas- 
ton  said,  trying  to  make  the  conversation  easy.  "My 
husband  is  so  fond  of  bridge  that  he  will  be  delighted 
and  you,  too,  will  like  to  see  Agatha.  May  I  ask  if 
we  are  to  keep  the  news  a  secret.?" 

"No,   not   now,"    Muir  replied.     "We   naturally 
didn  t  tell  anybody  before  you  knew  it,  but  now—" 
"Well,  good-bye  for  the  present,"  she  said,  offering 
her  hand  with  a  smile.     "We'll  look  for  you  at 
seven." 
"I'll  come  with  pleasure,  and  very  many  thanks." 
"The  professor,  too,  held  out  his  hand. 
_  "Good-bye,  Muir,  till  this  evening,"  he  said,  stiffly, 
"and  don't  forget  that  I've  got  nothing  to  do  with 
this  business  in  any  way.     I  was  Agatha's  guardian 
till  she  was  twenty-one;  but  I've  no  responsibility  for 
her  now." 

"Of  course  not— of  course  not,"  Muir  murmured 
politely. 

When  the  old  man  had  turned  away  Mrs.  WoUaston 

took  Muir's  hand  again  and  gave  it  a  little  squeeze. 

You  mustn't  mind  him,"  she  whispered.     "He 

may  speak  roughly,  but  nobody  in  the  worid  has  a 

kinder  heart." 

Then  she,  too,  lilted  away  to  join  her  husband. 


Ill 


•HAT'S  good— that's  good,"  Mr.  Wol- 
ilaston  chuckled,  as  they  drew  near 
I  their  own  gate. 

"And  yet  you  didn't  speak  as  if 
jyou  hked  him  much,"  Mrs.  WoUas- 
ton  said,  with  a  slight  suggestion  of 
reproof. 

"I  haven't  got  to  marry  him.  It  doesn't  matter 
whether  I  like  him  or  not.  The  essential  is  that  some 
one  else  is  going  to  look  after  her  and  I  shall  be 
free." 

"I  wish  we  knew  a  little  more  about  him,"  Mrs. 
WoUaston  sighed.     "As  a  man  he  is  charming  and  as 
a  writer  he  is  qmte  unusual." 
"Isn't  that  enough?" 

"Oh  yes.  Hector,  dear.     I  think  every  one  ought 
to  be  judged  on  his  own  merits.     I'm  republican 
enough  for  that.     But  Agatha  belongs  to  a  very  old 
Massachusetts  family  and  so  it  seems  a  pity — " 
"That  any  outsider  should  get  her.     Is  that  it?" 
"Well,  not  exactly.  Hector.     I  only  mean — " 
"  I  know  what  you  mean  and  what  you  haven't  the 
courage  to  say.    You  mean  that  the  old,  intellectual 
aristocracy  of  New  England,  of  which  your  family  and 
mine  form  part,  are  the  Lord's  chosen  people — that 
all  who  are  outside  are  but  Hivites  and  Hittites, 
"5 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

whether  they  come  from  California,  Texas,  or  lUi- 
nois — " 

"I  don't.  Hector,"  she  protested.  "I  believe  all 
our  people  ought  to  be  admitted  to  the  same  privileges 
as  ourselves.  It  would  make  no  difference  to  me  what 
part  of  the  country  a  man  came  from— not  even  if  it 
was  from  New  York.  I'm  more  broad-minded  than 
you  think.  I  was  only  wishing  that  we  knew  more 
about  Mr.  Muir's  origin  than  we  do." 

"Well,  I  can  tell  you.  His  father  was  Alexander 
Muir,  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy  at  the  University 
of  Edinburgh.  He  was  a  remarkable  man  in  his  day, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  foreign  professors  to 
be  invited  to  this  country  to  deUver  a  course  of  lect- 
ures. At  Ann  Arbor,  I  think  it  was,  he  met  a  young 
Chicago  lady  and  married  her.  That  was  before  the 
days  when  marrying  into  Chicago  meant  marrying 
money.  When  Muir  died,  a  few  \  cars  later,  he  left 
his  widow  nothing  but  a  big  library  and  a  baby. 
She,  poor  soul,  brought  both  of  them  to  Boston.  She 
kept  the  baby  and  sold  the  books.  I  have  some  of 
them  now.  Almost  every  man  in  the  collese  has 
some  of  them.  The  baby  grew  up  and  went  brilliant- 
ly through  Harvard  and  is  now  engaged  to  Agatha 
Royal.  I  believe  the  mother  died.  Surely  that's 
enough  to  know  about  any  man." 

"Quite,  Hector,  dear.  You  mustn't  think  I'm 
curious.  I  believe  in  judging  every  man  just  for 
what  he  is.  Only  if  he  has  a  background,  so  to  speak, 
one  likes  to  know  it.  I  should  never  think  the  worse 
of  any  one  because  one  of  his  parents  came  from 
Scotland  and  the  other  from  Chicago.  That  wouldn't 
be  his  fault.     Everybody  can't  be  bom  in  Massa- 

36 


I 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

chusetts.  I'm  the  first  to  admit  that.  If  it  wasn't 
that  Mr.  Dunster  was  there,  about  whom  we  know 
everything—  Poor  Mr.  Dunster!"  she  exclaimed,  in 
another  tone.  "I'm  sure  we  ought  to  consider  him. 
Agatha's  engagement  will  be  a  blow  to  him.  I 
wouldn't  for  anything  that  he  should  hear  it  bluntly, 
perhaps  at  dinner  to-night,  or  even  playing  bridge! 
It  would  upset  him  terribly." 

Her  heart  beat  with  a  quicker  flutter,  in  sympathy 
with  the  poor  young  man.  Her  reasons  for  thinking 
him  disappointed  in  his  affections  were  wholly  insuffi- 
tient;  but  she  would  not  have  been  a  sweet,  elderiy 
lady  with  a  taste  for  sentiment,  had  she  not  believed 
them  sound.  He  had  been  "attentive"  to  Agatha 
the  previous  winter,  and  during  the  summer,  when 
Mrs.  Wollaston  met  him  at  Bar  Harbor,  he  told  her 
he  had  had  a  letter  from  Miss  Royal.  Surely  any 
one  could  see  that  there  was  more  here  than  met  the 
eye;  especially  when  on  one  side  there  was  a  rich  and 
handsome  girl  of  twenty-five,  and  on  the  other  a 
wholly  eligible  young  man  of  thirty,  who  might  rea- 
sonably be  supposed  to  be  looking  for  a  wife.  M.-s. 
Wollaston  had  no  objection  to  Anthony  Muir;  but  she 
acknowledged  that  as  a  candidate  for  Agatha's  hand 
she  would  have  preferred  Paul  Dunster.  Mr.  Muir's 
origin  seemed  respectable  but  vague,  while  Paul 
Dunster's  family  had  lived  in  Old  Cambridge  ever 
since  Harvard  was  in  its  infancy.  He  had  an  an- 
cestress on  his  mother's  side  who  had  been  burned  for 
witchcraft  at  Salem  and  still  another  on  his  father's 
who  had  been  hanged  on  Boston  Common  for  preach- 
ing Quakerism.  There  was  thus  about  Mr.  Dunster 
a  definiteness  that  Mr.  Muir  seemed  to  lack.  Not  that 
»7 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

it  mattered  much,  Mrs.  Wollaston  kept  repeating  to 
herself;  only  that  in  losing  Agatha  Royal  it  would 
be  but  natural  if  Mr.  Dunster  should  feel  that  a  new- 
comer was  taking  from  him  something  to  which  he, 
with  his  New  England  antecedents,  had  a  prior 
claim. 

She  spoke  of  it  to  her  husband  again,  after  he  had 
dressed  for  dinner. 

"He  ought  not  to  be  taken  by  surprise,  poor  fel- 
low," she  said,  tenderly,  before  they  went  down- 
stairs.    "If  you  would  occupy  the  others  for  a  min- 
ute, Hector,  dear — " 
"Then  you'd  tell  him,  I  suppose?" 
"Yes,  that  was  my  idea.    Just  a  word,  you  know." 
"Well,  I  don't  see  why  I  shouldn't  tell  him  myself," 
the  professor  said,  complainingly.     "I  haven't  broken 
anything  to  any  one  for  a  long  time.    You  seem  to 
think  I've  no  tact." 
"Oh,  Hector!" 

"Yes,  you  do.  You  clip  my  sentences  and  make 
me  seem  to  say  things  I  don't  mean  and  explain  me 
to  people  as  if  I  were  an  edition  published  with  an- 
notations." 

"Oh,  Hector!"  Mrs.  Wollaston  said  again,  unable 
to  deny  the  truth  of  her  husband's  allegations. 

"Mr.  Dunster  is  down-stairs,  ma'am,"  the  maid 
announced,  coming  to  the  open  door  of  Mrs.  Wollas- 
ton's  room. 

"Goodness  me!"  exclaimed  the  lady.     "I  sha'n't 
be  ready  for  another  five  minutes,  and  Persis  is  al- 
ways  late.     He's   exceedingly  punctual.     It's   only 
striking  seven.     You'll  have  to  go  down.  Hector." 
As  her  husband  gave  a  final  look  at  his  toilet  pre- 
48 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

paratory  to  descending,  she  longed  to  tell  him  to  be 
careful  in  what  he  said ;  but  after  his  complaint  of 
a  minute  before  she  did  not  dare.  She  could  only 
go  on  catching  at  invisible  "eyes"  with  clawlike 
"hooks,"  and  pray  that  Mr.  WoUaston  might  be  in- 
spired with  the  gift  of  speech. 

As  he  went  down-stairs  he  felt  that  he  was. 

"Good-evening,  Dunster,"  he  said,  in  his  heartiest 
way.  "You  must  excuse  Mrs.  WoUaston.  She'll  be 
down  in  a  minute.     She  didn't  expect  you  so  early." 

"I  thought  Mrs.  WoUaston  said  seven,"  the  young 
man  ventured,  in  excuse. 

"Quite  so,  quite  so;  that's  all  right.  She  did  say 
seven;  but  when  you  say  seven,  you  know,  you  gen- 
erally expect  to  have  the  traditional  quarter  of  an 
hour's  grace.  My  wife  thought  she'd  get  it  and  so 
she  didn't  hurry.  Glad  to  see  you,  just  the  same. 
Come  into  my  den  and  we'll  have  a  chat.  That's  a 
good  suggestion,"  he  thought,  as  he  took  Dunster's 
coat  and  hung  it  up.  "  I'U  give  him  a  glass  of  sherry 
and  thaw  him  out,  if  Fanny  will  only  allow  us  time." 

"I'm  sorry  I'm  so  early,"  Dunster  said,  as  he  pre- 
ceded his  host  into  the  study — a  big,  old-fashioned 
room  with  well-worn  furniture  and  walls  lined  with 
books. 

"No,  no,  no!"  Mr.  WoUaston  exclaimed,  good- 
naturedly.  "I'm  used  to  having  people  on  my 
hands  and  taUdng  against  time.  You  must  know 
what  it  is  yourself  with  the  students  dropping  in  on 
you  at  all  hours,  from  breakfast  to  bedtime.  Ter- 
rible nuisance,  and  always  has  been.  The  faculty 
ought  to  forbid  it,  'pon  my  word.  There,  sit  down 
in  that  chair.  It's  my  favorite,  but  I  don't  get  it 
39 


I 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

one  time  out  of  ten.    Some  loafer  is  sure  to  drop  into 
It  because  it's  the  best." 

"Oh,  please  don't  let  me  take  it  from  you—"  Dun- 
ster  protested. 

"Sit  down,  sit  down,"  the  professor  insisted,  gently 
pushing  him  into  the  chair.  "I  want  you  to  taste 
this  sherry.  Old  Pinckney  sent  it  to  me,  after  1  had 
taken  some  cour.es  for  him  when  he  was  ill  I 
don't  hke  sherry  myself,  but  I  keep  this  on  tap  in 
the  cupboard  here  and  dose  people  with  it  when 
I  dont  want  to  talk  to  'em.  It's  a  good  trick 
I  recommend  it  to  you,  when  your  time  is  taken  up 
with  fellows  who've  got  nothing  to  stay  for  and  don't 
Vnow  how  to  go. ,  There,  taste  that.  They  all  say 
Jt  s  good,  but  I  suppose  they'd  say  so.  anyhow  " 

He  thrust  the  glass  into  Dunster's  hand  and  drew 
up  a  chair  "I  wish  Fanny  could  see  how  I'm  doing 
It  he  said  to  himself.  "She's  one  of  the  women 
who  thmk  that  when  she  dies  tact  will  die  with  her  " 
This_is  what  I  call  friendly,  Dunster,"  he  said 
aloud.  I  hate  to  have  a  man  wait  till  the  last  min- 
ute just  for  the  sake  of  being  polite.  Besides,  I 
wanted  to  see  you  privately." 

*•  "^^'.r' u^""'*^""  '^''^'  '°°''i"g  at  ease  for  the  first 
time.  Then  it  won't  matter  that  I'm  so  incon- 
veniently ahead  of  time?" 

He  was  a  stocky,  sturdy  type  of  young  New-Eng- 
lander;  clear-skinned,  clear-eyed,  frank,  and  sincere 
as  any  one  could  see  at  a  glance.  His  colleagues 
thought  him  literal,  downright,  outspoken  and  too 
pugnacious.  Old  Pinckney  said  of  him  that  if  he 
had  a  difference  of  opinion  with  any  one  he  knocked 
him  down  by  way  of  persuasion.  Something  of  this 
30 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

was  evident,  even  as  he  sat  in  Mr.  Wollaston's  favor- 
ite chair,  by  the  way  in  which  he  held  his  head,  as  if 
he  had  just  thrown  a  challenge. 

"Yes,"  the  old  man  continued,  in  a  confidential 
tone,  drawing  his  chair  nearer  and  tapping  Dunster 
on  the  knee.  "I  wanted  a  word  with  you  on  a  very 
particular  bit  of  business." 

Dunster  looked  pleased  and  wondered  if  there  was 
a  chance,  after  all,  of  getting  his  assistant-professor- 
ship. 

"You  know  Agatha  Royal,  I  think?" 

"Oh  yes,  quite  well,"  Dunster  replied,  readily, 
though  taken  by  surprise. 

"A  Uttle  more  than  quite  well,  I  understand,"  the 
old  man  said,  with  a  look  that  was  meant  to  be  know- 
ing and,  at  the  same  time,  sympathetic. 

"Possibly,"  Dunster  assented,  with  a  smile.  "Miss 
Royal  has  always  been  very  nice  to  me." 

"She's  a  ward  of  mine.  At  least,  she  was  till  she 
came  of  age." 

"So  I  unuerstood." 

"Well,  that  girl's  been  a  great  disappointment  to 
me — a  great  disappointment." 

"Oh,  Mr.  WoUaston,"  Dunster  cried,  his  eyes  wide 
open  with  astonishment,  "I  can't  believe  it." 

"It's  true.  It's  true.  Don't  you  make  any  mis- 
take about  that.  And  she'll  be  a  disappointment  to 
you,  too,  as  much  as  to  me — more  than  to  me." 

"But,  professor,  I  assure  you — " 

"She'd  have  made  your  life  wretched,  Dunster. 
Not  but  what  she's  a  good  girl.  I've  always  allowed 
that—" 

"But,  Mr.  WoUaston,  if  you'll  permit  me — " 
31 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

She  wasn't  the  woman  for  you,  Dunster,  more's  the 
pity.    I'll  admit  that  you're  the  man  I  had  picked  out 
for  her— in  my  own  mind,  that  is  to  say.     Mrs.  Wol- 
laston  had  picked  you  out,  too;  a  d  she  doesn't  often 
make  a  mistake.     No  later  than  this  afternoon  we 
were  talking  of  what  a  good  match  it  would  be;  when 
we  saw  that  it  was  out  of  the  question.     If  you  didn  't 
ask  her — " 
"I  assure  you  I  didn't;  though — " 
"Then  you  were  behind  time,  so  it's  partly  your 
own  fault.    She's  twenty -five,  and   not   far   from 
twenty -six.     It  wasn't  to  be  supposed  that  she'd 
wait   forever;   you'll   allow   that   yourself.     If   you 
didn't  ask  her,  that's  your  own  lookout.     I'm  less 
disappointed  in  her  than  I  was.     A  woman  can  hardly* 
be  expected  to  marry  a  man  who  didn't  ask  her; 
come,  now,  you'll  allow  that's  fair.     But  Mrs.  Wollas- 
ton  and  I  thought  you  had  asked  her,  and  that  she 
hadn't  taken  you  because  you  were  too  short,  or  be- 
cause you  had  a  cast  in  your  eye,  or  from  some  other 
such  woman's  whim.    We  were  talking  of  it  just  be- 
fore you  came.     But  if  you  didn't  ask  her,  that  puts 
another  face  on  it;  so  it  isn't  to  be  wondered  at  that 
she  took  the  man  who  did." 

"You  mean,  sir,  that  Miss  Royal  is  engaged?" 
The  way  in  which  Dunster  grasped  the  arms  of  the 
chair  and  thrust  himself  forward  as  if  he  could  not 
catch  the  answer  quickly  enough,  made  clear  what  he 
would  have  done  if  he  had  had  the  opportunity. 
^^  "Certainly,"    the    professor    said,    rather   stiffly. 
"That's  what  I'm  breaking  to  you." 
"May  I  ask  to  whom?" 
"To  Anthony  Muir." 

3a 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

"Good  GodI"  Dunster  cried,  springing  to  his  feet 
am  growing  pale.  "Good  God,  professor,"  he  re- 
peated, "there's  something  wrong  with  the  mani 
She  can't  marry  him." 

The  professor  rose  too,  almost  pale  in  his  turn. 
Then  there  came  a  tap  at  the  door,  and  Mrs.  WoUas- 
ton's  voice  was  heard  wit  J  out. 

"Hector,  everybody  is  here,  and  dinner  has  been 
announced  long  ago." 
t 


IV 


PDON'T  know  what  you  mean,"  Mr. 
TWjUaston  whispered.  "Stay  a  min- 
lute  after  the  others  have  gone  and 
I  tell  me." 

"No,    professor,"    Dunster    whis- 
'pered    back.      "Muir   will    tell    you 
himself." 

"In  any  case  you've  got  to  dine  with  him  now  and 
play  bridge  with  him  afterwards." 

"Ah!"  Dunster  c.x  :laimed,  with  a  start.  "Is  he 
to  be  here?" 

"Yes,  and  you  must  act  as  if  it  was  all  right.  My 
wife  mustn't  suspect  anything." 

"Are  you  ever  coming,  Hector?"  Mrs.  WoUaston 
called  again. 

"I  won't  betray  anything,"  the  young  man  had 
just  time  to  say,  before  they  passed  out  into  the  hall. 
"Good-evening,  Mrs.  Wollaston." 

"Good-evening,  Mr.  Dunster.     Do  excuse  me  for 
being  so  late.     The  fact  is  that  we've  had  important 
news  to-day  and  everything  is  a  little  behindhand." 
"So  your  husband's  just  been  telling  me,"  Dunster 
said,  with  all  necessary  outward  calmness. 

Mrs.  Wollaston  scanned  him  rapidly  and  wondered 
where  men  kept  their  hearts  so  as  to  be  able  to  main- 
tain such  admirable  control  over  their  tones  and  feat- 
34 


The   Steps    of   Honor 

ures.  It  exasperated  her  to  see  a  young  man,  who 
must  be  facing  the  disappointment  of  a  lifetime,  smil- 
ing and  bowing  as  if  nothing  had  occurred.  She 
would  have  despised  him  if  he  had  betrayed  too  much 
emotion;  but  she  thought  a  ruffled  brow  or  a  face 
slightly  drawn  was  the  least  that  could  be  looked  for 
under  all  the  circumstances.  She  was  not  fond  of 
the  theatre,  but  she  liked  a  bit  of  drama  under  her 
own  roof.  It  was,  therefore,  with  a  distinct  sense  of 
satisfaction  that,  a  minute  later,  she  saw  him  offer  his 
hand  to  Muir  with  a  certain  freezing  dignity  and, 
though  he  knew  of  the  engagement,  offer  no  congratu- 
lations.    Then  he  passed  on  towards  Agatha. 

She  was  standing  at  the  farther  end  of  the  long, 
old-fashioned  room  —  a  tall,  commanding  figure  in 
black  with  a  chain  of  pearls  falling  around  her  neck 
and  looped  up  at  her  waist. 

"  He  knows,"  whispered  Persis,  who  was  beside  her. 
"  I  can  tell  by  the  effort  he  is  making  to  seem  at  ease." 

"Don't  go,"  Agatha  begged,  as  Persis  moved  away. 
"Don't  leave  me  alone  with  him." 

"I've  just  heard  an  interesting  bit  of  news,"  he 
said,  smiling  tranquilly.  "  I  need  hardly  tell  you  that 
I  hope  you're  going  to  be  happy." 

"Thanks,  Paul,"  she  returned,  in  his  own  tone  of 
quiet  friendliness.  "I  should  have  known  that  you 
wished  me  that." 

"I  believe,"  said  Mr.  Wollaston,  stepping  up, 
"that  I'm  to  have  the  honor  of  leading  the  heroine  of 
the  occasion  in  to  dinner." 

"Mr.  Dunster,  will  you  take  Persis?"  Mrs.  Wollas- 
ton requested,  and  the  little  procession  started  off  re- 
gardless of  any  order  of  precedence. 
35 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"What  I  admired  most  in  your  congratulations  to 
Agatha,  just  now,"  Persis  said  to  Ounster  as  they 
crossed  the  hall  to  the  dining-room,  "was  what  you 
didn't  say." 

Dunster  turned  with  a  quick,  questioning  look  at 
the  slender  girl  in  white  beside  him. 

"That  leaves  you  a  large  field,"  he  laughed.  "I 
didn't  say — a  good  many  things." 

"That  people,  on  such  occasions,  generally  do  say. 
I  wonder  why  you  left  them  out?" 

"If  I  were  you  I  should  let  that  remain  among  the 
unsolved  riddles  of  the  universe." 

"  I  couldn't,"  she  answered,  as  she  reached  her  seat. 
"I've  such  a  thirst  for  knowledge." 

At  table  Mrs.  Wollaston  ftlt  the  situation  painful 
but  romantic.  To  have  the  rivals  one  on  her  right 
hand  and  the  other  on  her  left  placed  her  in  a  difficult 
situation  which  she  enjoyed.  To  be  unobtrusively 
triumphant  with  Muir  and  delicately  sympathetic 
with  Dunster  called  for  just  that  kind  of  tact  for  which 
she  knew  she  had  an  instinct.  She  liked  the  attitude 
of  both  young  men — Muir  quietly  attentive  to  herself, 
and  not  parading  his  victory — Dunster  amiably  talka- 
tive with  Agatha,  and  showing  no  sense  of  his  defeat. 
It  made  her  regret  more  keenly  that  Dunster  had  not 
won  the  prize;  and  yet,  as  her  acquaintance  with  Muir 
progressed,  she  could  not  but  own  that  he  was  the 
man  for  Agatha. 

Of  Agatha  herself  she  was  less  sure.  Had  she  not 
stood  slightly  in  awe  of  her  she  would  have  asked  di- 
rectly, as  Persis  had  done  in  the  morning,  whether 
or  not  she  felt  "the  sense  of  conviction"  which  her 
new  situation  demanded. 

36 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"She's  a  good  girl,"  she  had  said  to  herself  several 
times  during  the  last  two  or  three  hours,  "and  for 
that  very  reason  she's  quite  capable  of  making  a  mar- 
riage in  which  the  heart  would  count  for  less  than  the 
conscience.  I'm  not  sure  that  she  doesn't  belong  '1,0 
that  type  of  New  England  woman  for  whom  moral  ap- 
probation means  more  than  love." 

Now  and  then,  when  Muir  turned  to  talk  to  Persis, 
or  when  the  conversation  became  general,  Mrs.  Wol- 
laston  found  time  to  glance  at  Agatha  with  special  at- 
tention. She  would  have  done  so  in  any  case,  for  a 
newly  engaged  girl  was  always  an  object  that  attract- 
ed her;  but  when  the  girl  was  Agatha  Royal,  whom 
she  had  almost  brought  up,  it  was  natural  that  her  in- 
terest should  be  keen.  Between  the  two  there  was  a 
strong  affection,  tinged  on  Mrs.  WoUaston's  side  with 
the  slightest  shade  of  disapproval.  She  had  often 
said  in  private  to  her  husband  that  but  for  certain 
qualities  Agatha  would  have  been  an  ideal  woman; 
and  the  thought  occurred  to  her  now  as  she  looked  at 
her  across  the  table.  The  small,  proud  head,  with  its 
abundant  dark  hair  simply  parted  and  rippling  away 
from  the  forehead,  was  just  what  Mrs.  WoUaston  liked. 
She  liked,  too,  the  small,  regular  features  that  im- 
pressed the  beholder  by  their  refinement  rather  than 
by  their  beauty.  This  she  held  to  be  the  special  in- 
heritance of  Puritan  women  sprung  from  an  ancestry 
devoted  to  the  good  and  drilled  to  the  suppression  of 
the  sensuous.  That  Agatha  had  practical  feminine  ca- 
pabilities was  also  for  Mrs.  WoUaston  a  cause  of  satis- 
faction— a  satisfaction  that  was  not  unmixed  with  pride 
when,  as  often  happened,  Agatha  came  to  seek  counsel 
of  her  own  more  experienced  housewifely  wisdom, 
37 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

All  this  was  excellent.     But  there  were  other  ten- 
dencies in  Agatha's  character  with  which  Mrs.  Wollas- 
ton  was  less  content.     For  instance,  since  she  had  be- 
come her  own  mistress  she  had  manifested  a  taste  for 
elegance  quite  out  of  keeping  with  the  way  in  which 
the  Royals  and  the  WoUastons  had  always  lived. 
Their  standard  had  been  simple,  comfortable  and 
homelike,  without  taking  much  account  of  beauty; 
whereas  Agatha  gave  beauty  a  wholly  ridiculous  im- 
portance both  in  her  person  and  her  surroundings. 
Why  it  should  make  any  difference  whether  a  chair 
was  Empire  or  Louis  Quinze  was  something  Mrs. 
WoUaston  could  never  see;  and  what  Louis  Quinze 
and  Empire  had  to  do  with  a  modest  American  house- 
hold passed,  so  she  said,  her  uttermost  comprehen- 
sion.    Her  own  dwelling  had  been  furnished  in  the 
early  sixties,  and  nearly  everything  had  come  from 
Bristol's,  at  that  time  the  best  place  in  Boston ;  and 
no  one,  as  far  as  she  knew,  had  been  other  than  satis- 
fied with  her  heavy  mahoganies  and  coverings  of 
green  rep  with  a  stripe  of  black  and  yellow.   Isaac  and 
Ellen  Royal,  Agatha's  parents,  had  furnished  about 
the  same  time  in  about  the  same  way;  but  as  soon  as 
Agatha  had  obtained  a  free  hand  she  had  turned 
everything  upside  down  in  order  to  gratify  her  fancies. 
Mrs.  WoUaston  had  looked  on  and  said  nothing;  she 
prided  herself  on  the  extent  to  which  she  could  hold 
her  tongue;  but  none  the  less  her  heart  was  often  hot 
within  her  and  she  longed   to  give  the  girl   some 
good  advice. 

It  was  the  same  with  Agatha's  taste  in  dress. 
That  it  was  quiet  and  becoming  Mrs.  WoUaston  could 
not  deny;  neither  could  she  deny  that  it  was  expen- 
38 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

sive.  It  followed  the  fashions  to  quite  an  unnecessary 
degree  and  gowns  that  had  been  in  evidence  only  for 
a  spnng  or  a  summer  disappeared  in  a  way  Mrs 
WoUaston  could  never  account  for.  Persis  said  they 
were  discreetly  disposed  of  through  the  Vincent  Club 
and  that  when  "made  over"  they  enabled  many  a 
strugglmg  working-girl  to  have  the  pleasure  of  ap- 
pearing at  her  best.  If  this  was  so,  Mrs.  WoUaston 
could  scarcely  criticise;  and  yet  the  systematic  giving 
away  of  one's  clothes  before  they  were  worn  out  was 
a  form  of  charity  too  audacious  for  her  entire  com- 
mendation. 

"Agatha  spends  a  great  deal  of  money  on  her 
clothes,"  she  had  sighed  to  her  husband  one  day  a 
year  or  two  before. 

"Well,  so  do  you,"  had  been  the  unexpected  re- 
tort. 

"Oh,  Hector,  how  you  talk!  I  haven't  had  a  new 
dress  since— since  my  last  black  silk." 

"I  didn't  see  that  you  needed  that.  All  vour 
dresses  are  alike.     I  never  can  tell  on&f rom  another. ' ' 

"I  only  hope  that  Persis  won't  have  the  saftie 
Ideas,    Mrs.  WoUaston  had  said,  shifting  her  ground 

"And  I  hope  she  will.  When  Persis  leaves  school 
she  shall  have  a  new  dress  every  time  she  wants 
one. 

"I  know  you're  only  saying  that,  dear.  Fond  as 
you  are  of  Persis,  you're  the  last  person  in  the  worid 
to  encourage  her  in  extravagance." 

The  subject  dropped  and  Mrs.  WoUaston  never  took 
It  up  again.  She  was,  indeed,  unwilling  to  caU  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  she  had  another  black  silk  in 
process  of  construction  at  that  very  moment;  and  yet 
39 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

S  T^t'^f  !'"'*■?'«-««''«'  fy  going  next  day  to 
ask  that  It  should  be  "something  new  in  style,  differ- 

It  wr"?-,r?^*  ^^'  ^^^  before,  and  moreyriUng  " 
It  was  st.ll  her  second  best  for  evening  wear  and  fhe 
had  It  on  to-night.  It  was  slightly  open  at  the  tW«f 
and  had  white  lace  famng  fronfthe^hSr^'x^^^^^^^^^ 

woreTrrlthe"rir  'Tu"^''"'  *°  ^"^  weakness,  she 
wore  It  rather  than  her  best,  on  this  occasion  beckuse 

SyrnS-- °''  '''  *'"  ^"  ''  "'''  '-^'^^ 
Mrs.  Wollaston  did  not  exactly  disapprove  of  Aga- 
tha s  manner  of  dressing,  she  only  wished  it  were  li- 
ferent;  and  she  felt  the  same  about  the  girl'sItthSe 

t.ont-!^l''°""f  ,:"'"•  "^^  ^^y  °^  "accepting  atten! 
tions  was  unhke  ^ything  to  which  Mrs  Wollaston 
had  been  brought  up.  In  the  early  sixties  a  girl  who 
^271  *^f  TA''^"'*  ^^  ^^^'^^  had  been^d^stin! 
Tv.  Hi  T  ^^f  °""'**'  ^"^  Anthony  Muir  wouW 
woT^H  v.^'^^'u  ^  '''*^"  ^"P"^«d  modesty.  She 
would  have  shewn  herself  flattered,  fluttered  and 
taken  off  her  guard.  Even  if  she  declined  the  d^l 
ties  that  were  offered  her  she  would  have  decKned 

tSem  forTn."  "'^^  V°  '""'^^  '*  ^'^^^  ^"^^t  «he  took 

werTa  ,^,n  T'  ^"*  *°  ^^'"'^^  ^»  «"<=•>  things 
were  a  matter  of  course.  She  seemed  not  so  much 
to  expect  them  as  not  to  think  of  them  at  all  I„ 
situations  where  Mrs.  Wollaston  in  her  youth  wouM 
have  been  tingUng  with  a  startled,  pleasurable  pride 
Agatha  manifested  only  a  gracious  indifferVnce"^' 
Keally,  she  goes  about  the  world  as  if  there  were 
marTeH  Z'r^"  ^'"''^'•"  **"•  Wollaston  had  r^ 

t^toun^        ''"'^^"'^  "°*  '°"«  ^«°-  "  One  would  say 
the  young  men  were  not  worth  a  thought." 

40 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"They're  not,"  he  had  answered,  laconically 
"They  used  to  be.  Hector." 
"That  was  when  I  was  young,  my  dear." 
"It  seems  to  me,"  she  had  gone  on,  in  her  gently 
sentimental  way,  "that  if  one  has  had  the  fortune 
to— to  mspire  an  emotion,  the  least  one  can  do  is 
to  treat  it  tenderly." 

"Don't  you  worry  about  that,"  he  had  advised  her 
The  young  men  of  to-day  can  take  very  good  care 
of  themselves.  They're  not  inspired  with  emotions 
until  they  are  ready  for  them.  Even  then  they  take 
only  as  much  as  they  can  stand,  as  a  wise  toper  does 
with  his  glass." 

Mrs  Wollaston  had  not  agreed  with  this  cynical 
view  of  life  and  did  not  now.  As  she  looked  at  Paul 
Dunster  she  knew  he  was  suflfering  as  keenly  as  any 
old-time  lover  in  romance.  That  he  should  be  able 
to  talk  pleasantly  with  Agatha  and  jest  with  Persis 
and  return  an  answer  to  the  professor's  jibes  was 
all  the  nobler.  Mrs.  Wollaston  felt  that  he  had 
taken  her  lead  and  was  doing  his  best  to  help  in 
carrying  off  a  difficult  situation.  As  dinner  drew 
towards  the  end  she  began  to  congratulate  herself 
that  nothing  had  been  said  that  could  hurt  Mr 
Dunster's  feelings  in  any  way.  Agatha  had  be- 
haved splendidly  and  so  had  Mr.  Muir.  Persis  had 
shown  an  unusual  discretion,  while  Hector  seemed 
to  have  forgotten  that  an  engagement  had  taken 
place. 

It  was  when  the  fruit  was  being  passed  and  Agatha 
had  put  out  her  hand  to  take  a  peach,  that  the  bolt 
was  shot  from  the  blue. 

"What's  that  ring  you've  got  on?"  the  professor 
4" 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

asked    suddenly.     "Diamonds?    I  thought  an  un 
mamed  woman  shouldn't  wear  diamonds  •'  ^ 

The  three  ladies  exchanged  quick  and  comprehend- 
mg  glances      Dunster  turned  to  look  at  the  ring 
Mmr  snuled  to  himself  and  went  on  peeling  a  peaf 
Girls  wear  anything  nowadays.   Hector,"   Mrs 
WoUaston  explained,  hastily. 

1  "  u"f  ^^f ''^  '^  ^°  ^°°n  t°  ^^  married,"  Dunster 
laughed,  rather  forcedly,  "that  I  should  thtakshi 
could  wear  all  the  diamonds  she  liked  " 

Let  me  see  it,"  Mr.  WoUaston  persisted   tak'-ip 

isn  t  It.?    I  don  t  remember  having  seen  it  before  " 
__  I  only  got  It  to-day,"  she  laughed. 

How  much?" 
;;  I  didn't  buy  it,"  she  laughed  again. 

Oh,  Uncle  Hector,"  Persis  broke  in,  boldly,  "do 
M      wT-     I* «  her  engagement-ring."       ^' 
Mrs.  WoUaston  knew  that  for  her  it  was  a  mnmon* 
m  which  to  dash  in  and  save  the  situaT'n       °"'"* 
That  reminds  me,"  she  said,  turning  to  Muir 

I  r^»H  r  IT'  ^"'"^  ^°"  ^"^  «"*  I  «ke  your  Ck 
I  read  it  while  we  were  in  the  country,  and  toldTv 

IT^^VhLL^'''  ''  ^  ™-*  e'lioblUto":]^ 

'•Yes,  she  did,  Muir,"  the  old  man  corroborated 

HetitTurl''*  ""'  "  "'''''  ''^'  '  -"'^  ^^^^y^'- 

sai7C-sr'''Tw"''  *\"*  compliment,  Mr.  Muir," 
said  i-ersis.  That's  nothing  to  what  Uncle  Hector 
can  do  when  he's  in  a  really  good  humor  '' 

*r.r,  "  M  *•  ''^^"'"°"s  °n  my  account.  Miss  WoUas- 
ton,   Muir  rejoined,  with  an  easy  laugh.     "  No  writer 
42 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

ought  to  be  equal  to  his  own  books,  otherwise  he 
would  always  be  standing  with  his  best  foot  fore- 
most. 

'I  In  an  attitude  naturally  painful,"  Agatha  added. 
A  man  who  writes  a  book,"  said  Dunster,  more 
gravely  than  he  had  spoken  hitherto,  "should  at  least 
give  to  the  world  nothing  but  what's  his  own.  And 
he  shouldn't  pass  off  as  his  own  what  belongs  to 
some  one  else." 

Muir  glanced  up  quickly  and  seemed  about  to 
speak,  but  ho  ended  in  saying  nothing. 

"That's  a  hard  question,"  Mr.  Wollaston  argued 
taking  the  subject  up.  "It's  sometimes  difficult  to 
decide  as  to  what  belongs  to  a  man  and  what  doesn't 
I  ve  often  heard  Emerson  say  that  originality  con- 
sists in  making  another  man's  thoughts  one's  own 
and  giving  them  a  new  applies tion." 

"Quite  so,"  Dunster  agreed.  "Ideas  once  offered 
to  the  world  become  common  property.  But  each 
person  who  puts  them  forth  shouH  stamp  them  with 
the  impress  of  himself.  Otherwise  they're  borrowed 
If  not  stolen.  The  same  bit  of  gold  may  pass  thi  ugh 
many  mints,  but  each  time  it  comes  out  it  is  a  differ- 
ent sort  of  coin." 

"That's  what  struck  me  about  Mr.  Muir's  book  " 
said  Mrs.  Wollaston,  who  disliked  discussion  in  the 
abstract.  "  It  was  so  like  him.  As  I  read  it  I  could 
almost  hear  him  speak." 

"I  don't  see  how  that  could  have  been,"  the  pro- 
fessor objected.     "You  never  heard  Muir  say  twenty 
words  until  we  met  him  this  afternoon  and  you  asked 
him  to  come  in  to  dinner." 
"That  may  be  so,"  she  acknowledged,  promptly, 
43 


\J 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

had  he'arf  W^*^  ""^'^  •"^^'^  ^^^^  *hat  way  HI 

1     u*^'  ^^^er  leaned  across  Mrs.  WoUaston  and 

"  Muir  ••  h"h  "  "^^  "'=°"''^  '^^•'-^  ^P-S. 
aft»nt^  '  ..^  J"'^^"'  '"  "  *°"''  *hat  drew  every  one's 
attention,  "did  you  ever  read  a  book  on  the  same  sub 
ject^as  your  own  by  a  Scotchman  named  ChTtopher 

anslSe"d.*';radl;^'^'  "^  ^^"^  "  ''^^''  «'-«'  ^"^  he 
"No.    Why?" 

mi'lrr  oSi^"^  *''"«^  •"  ^°"'  ^-'^  *•»-»  «- 

^^I  never  heard  of  him,"  said  Muir.     "Is  he  a  new 

"His  book  was  published  in  1831.     It  is  entitled 
A  TreoHse  an  the  Human  Conscience:  Its  Re^^Jnt 

f  L^        I/"PPOse  It  must  have  come  into  the  world 

r  p^sessi^  t^ca--A^-.vr;ri'::^ 

had^t^eThirbofk?^^^''^^-     ^  ■--  -y  f^*"- 

^^  f^"  ^""^  '*  *°  y°"'"  ^""ster  went  on,  "if  vou 
w^W  care  to  see  it.     But  I  should  like  t;  have°t 

tak7!'lf ° *'■" K^"^""  I^^P°'«led,  indifferently.     "Don't 

veriev  Hairrn  '■     ^'  '^^  '"'^°  ^"'^  °^-  at  Ca,! 
verley  Hall  1 11  run  m  to  your  room  and  take  a  look 

44 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

^^  "Christopher  Love,"  Mrs.  WoUaston  commented. 
"What  an  odd  name!  It  doesn't  seem  at  all  suited 
to  a  philosopher." 

"Perhaps  it  was  only  a  nom  de  plume  like  Chris- 
topher North,"  Agatha  suggested. 

"No  doubt  Muir  can  tell  us,"  said  Dunster. 

"I'm  afraid  I  can't,"  Muir  answered.  "I've  just 
said  that  I've  never  heard  it  before." 

"You  did,"  Dunster  persistsd;  "but  I  thought  you 
might  have  recollected  since.  Names  like  that  come 
back  to  one." 

"So  they  do,"  Persis  agreed.  "I  should  make  it 
the  title  for  a  novel.     Christopher  Love,  by — '>y " 

"By  Paul  Dunster,"  Muir  said,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Edited  by  Anthony  Muir,"  Dunster  rejoined,  with- 
out laughing;  and  then  the  conversation  took  an- 
other turn. 

Dinner  was  finished  and  bridge  was  played.  Aga- 
tha's carriage  came  for  her  and  she  went  away  early. 
Muir  lingered,  but  Dunster  lingered  too.  In  the  end 
they  left  together. 

"You're  not  going  my  way,"  Muir  said,  when  the 
door  had  closed  behind  them.  "I'll  say  good-night 
to  you  here." 

"No;  I'll  walk  a  bit  with  you,  if  you  don't  object," 
Dunster  answered.  "I  want  a  word  with  you  about 
a  matter  that  I've  had  on  my  mind  for  some  days 
past." 

"All  right,"  Muir  agreed.  "I'm  going  straight  to 
Westmoriand  Hall.  It  '11  take  you  out  of  your  way, 
but — " 

"It  doesn't  matter,"  said  Dunster,  as  he  lit  a 
cigarette. 

4S 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

;;The„  I  want  you  to  drop  it." 
quieSy'  '""  "^  *°  "^'"^  ''  ^  *°  'i^P  >-r  Muir  said. 

^J^  your  favorr   Muir  inquired,   with  a  short 
"^° — not  in  mv  favor     Tv=  — 

ho'J''""''  ^°"  ^°'"  y°"''  interest.  Dunster-  h«t   »    ■ 
hardly  necessary  to  assur»  „~    Vi-     S       '  ^^*'  ^  '* 

do  without  it.'^  ^°"'  ^''^  ^°y«»  a»d  I  can 

"LiT  ^  V'"«  *°  *''"'''*  it  °"  you." 

in  h.^t.^;^^  2:- j;oS'  -tr?-  -r^ 

>ng  at?    Any  othpr  ,n=^  ■        '       ^*  "*  y°w  driy- 

you  to  goTo'the  deyiUo"  1^1^*'°"  "°""^  *«=" 
He'd  say  you  were  dn/nV-t,  !  t  '^'""P*"'"™*  «««■ 
cra^y.  Vha"  r^yX  to"'  fc^H*"  *"'"''  ^°" 
What  have  you  been  stfrinl'    .  ?°  ^^^  '"«^"? 

for.'    I'll  be'hanged  if  I  can'makT  '"  *''  ^"^"'°« 

"I  mean  nothing  but  what  Itl  ^11  °"*- 
give  up  Miss  Royal."  say-that  you  must 

"Is  that  all?" 
J-  '*  ■-•»  «"■     You  must  g.  away  from  Har- 
"Anything  else?" 

46 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"Nothing  that  I  care  about.  So  long  ai  you  do 
those  two  things  I  shall  be  satisfied.     I  sha'n't  mind 

i'  ?T   ,  ^?"  *'°  °"  *°'^*'°8  on  the  public  other  peo- 
pie's  books."  *^ 

Muir  laughed  again,  in  a  short,  hard  way,  and  beean 
moving  on.  " 

"I  can't  get  out  of  temper  with  you,  Dunster," 
he  said,  ma  tone  in  which  astonishment  seemed  to 
struggle  with  amusement.  "You've  been  working 
too  hard,  or  you've  been  taking  drugs.  I've  heard 
you  suffered  from  insomnia.  You  must  be  mentally 
unhinged."  ' 

"Don't  try  to  bluff  me,  Muir.  I'm  not  making 
a  scene.  I  m  putting  it  to  you  quietly.  Get  out 
where  no  one  will  hear  of  you  again  and  I  give  you 
my  word  of  honor  that  you  shall  never  hear  of  me 
You  may  get  a  place  in  one  of  the  Western  colleges- 
It  s  always  a  recommendation  to  a  man  to  have  taught 
at  Harvard.  If  you  do  get  one,  I'll  leave  you  alone 
I  promise  you.  I  sha'n't  split  on  vou  or  utter  a  sus- 
picion. All  I  ask  of  you  is  that 'you  give  up  Miss 
Royal  and— get  out.  " 

"You're  modest  in  your  demands,  Dunster,  and  for 
aught  I  know,  you  may  be  merciful.  If  I  only  had 
an  inkling  of  what  you  mean  I  might  feel  in  a  more 
obliging  frame  of  mind  towards  you." 

"  If  that's  all  you  need,  I'll  tell  you ;  though  I  can't 
give  you  any  information  that  you  don't  possess. 
The  book  of  which  you've  sold  over  a  hundred  thou- 
sand copies  you  practically  stole  from  an  author  un- 
read in  his  lifetime  and  dead  and  gone  and  forgotten 
now,  by  the  name  of  Christopher  Love." 
Muir  gave  a  long,  low  whistle. 
47 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

"So  that'*  it,  Dunster,  eh?    A  little  bit  of  profes- 
sional jealousy.     Really,  I'm  rather  ashamed  of  you; 
for,  after  all,  you're  a  Harvard  man,  and  belong  to  the 
English  Department.     But  I  give  you  a  bit  of  advice : 
don't  make  yourself  a  reputation  for  trumping  up 
charges  of  plagiarism  against  men  who've  beaten  you 
in  the  field  where  you've  tried  to  make  a  name.     In 
the  long  run  it  doesn't  pay.     There's  a  man  in  Chica- 
go, I  believe,  who  says  that  Rostand  stole  from  him 
Cyrano  de  Bergerac;  but  I  never  heard  that  it  took 
one  laurel  leaf  from  Rostand's  crown." 
It  was  now  Dunster's  turn  to  stop. 
"  I've  got  the  same  of  being  quarrelsome,"  he  said, 
in  a  voice  trembling  with  the  effort  to  keep  his  self- 
control,  "and  perhaps  I  deserve  it.     But  I'm  not  go- 
ing to  quarrel  now.     I  repeat  only  what  I've  said— 
that  into  the  work  you  call  yours  you've  put  only  the 
modification  of  a  book  published  in  1831.     You've 
made  it  more  modem  and  more  sentimental;  you've 
introduced  into  it  some  odds  and  ends  from  Spencer 
and   Lecky   and   Jacob   Riis   and   Phillips   Brooks. 
You've  made  an  excellent  compilation,  but  the  ma- 
terial isn't  yours." 

"Don't  you  remember  what  was  said  at  dinner? 
That  originality  consists  in  taking  ideas  from  the 
common  stock  and  working  them  up  in  your  own 
way.  Be  reasonable,  Dunster.  If  it  comes  to  that, 
you're  a  plagiarist  yourself.  In  every  lecture  you 
give  you're  only  repr  ting  what  you've  picked  up 
here  and  there.  Wheii  *  wrote  Society  and  Conscience 
I  never  supposed  that  nobody  had  ever  expressed 
those  thoughts  before.  It's  true  that  I  gave  them  a 
new  twist — " 

48 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

"yZ^rH^JTu  '"''"'*•  .**"*'•"  °""»t*'  interrupted. 
You  copied  them  out  just  as  they  were.     Literary 
«.eft  may  not  ex.st  for  ideas,  but  it"^,  concerned  ^t J 
words      In  your  book  there  are  not  only  paragraphs 
but  whole  pages  taken  from  Christopher  LoT  No 

^n  mad  tT  '°""  T  ''°"''  ''•    ^°"  «""«*  hove 
S,  th.™  *°,T^?f*  that  some  one  wouldn't  recog- 
?w.    •™-   }.  ,'^°"  *  ""PP"*"  that  I'm  the  only  one 
It  was  your  title  for  Section  III.-.  The  Hebrew  Con' 

Zl^irT  ""Vf'rt'^d  »»«•    I  recalled  iS^m  the" 
^P^V"'ir?'''"  '  ^'"^  '^PP'd  f'"™  «•»«  to  time 
When  I  turned  to  ,t  there  was  not  only  the  same  tUle 

a^th^r  ^°'^'-     ^'"'  ««hrew  quotations  and 

authwt.es  were  the  same.     A  curious  mistake  was 
cop.ed  out  just  as  it  stood.     Line  after  line,  for  pages 

th^t      It-sC  T'*""'*  !:''"*'  """«"  ^  'Chapter  like 
tnat.     It  s  out  of  your  beat.     You  haven't  the  in 
fom.at.on.    You  did  the  same  with  Section  V.--  The" 
Platomc  Conscience.'    I  put  the  two  side  by  side  and 

the  bo  r  'T""'-  ^"-^  ^'^  *'«'  ^^"«  throughout 
the  book.     At  a  guess  I  should  say  that  a  good  third 

XZlr  '*  1°°^J™"?  Christopher  Love,  with 
W„i^!.u''"^^  ^\*^"  °*  antiquated  phraseology 
here  and  there.     On  the  strength  of  that  book  you've 

tZlK."?"*^*'""-.  °"  *••"  ^*«"8*h  of  that  book 
the  noblest  woman  ,n  the  world  has  come  to  think 
you  a  remarkable  man  and  is  going  to  marry  you. 
On  the  strength  of  that  book  you're  reaping  hono^ 
that  .snt  yours  and  pocketing  money  that  doesn't 
belong  to  you.  And  the  whole  thing  is  a  lie  oTve 
>t  up,  Muir.  You're  in  an  impossible  position  Get 
out  from  here  and  save  yourself  while  you  can  " 
49 


The   Steps   of  Honor 
"And  if  I  don't?" 
"Then,  by  God,  Ml  make  you!     I'll  tear  the  heart 

Thll^T.-"''"*  ^^  '"''  "P°^«'  ''  *°  »he  wort" 
There  s  nothing  easier.  I've  only  to  pubhsh  twenty 
pages  of  old  Christopher  Love  and  the  trick  is  done 
I  tell  you  Muir,  you  have  only  to  accept  my  condi- 
tions^ Give  up  Miss  Royal  and  get  out.  Steal  away 
sneak  away  hide  yourself,  or  else  stand  your  ground 
till  you're  dnven  out.  You've  no  other  cou«e.'' 
,      ?    ^!^;  '  ''*''*•  I'""ste'-. "  Muir  said,  with  an  easy 

wHt:  '1  *°  ^*  y""  '^°  y^'  ""le  worst  and  be 

blown  away  by  the  tempest  that  you  yourself  will 

thn«  TT'^  "P'     ^^"^'^  "°  f'^"""  ^^  on  earth 
than  the  discovefer  of  mare's-nests  and  he's  all  the 

you.     Bluster  away,  good  Dunster.     If  it  doesn't 

notour  T-  '*7'"  ''^'P  y°"'  «*  '«-t,  to  a  b  t  o 
notoriety.  Now,  ,f  you'll  excuse  me,  I'll  wish  you  a 
courteous  good-night."  ^ 

in^hrri!"!'  **"'^  *u"""'  °"  •''''  *■««'  «°1  disappeared 
in  the  shadow  of  the  trees.     For  a  minute  Th,ZiV. 

stood  still  where  Muir  had  left  Wm  He  cinched 
his  fists  and  bit  his  lips  with  suppressed  anger. 

It !  he  fluttered  two  or  three  times  to  himself  Then 
he,  too,  started  off  through  the  darkness Tn  his  wa? 
to  his  rooms  in  Calveriey.  ^ 


ftnvJ    "^"^    "'""''"^    Miss    Agatha 

lilJl      iu-  ''"""^  °'  Cousin  Abby 

teff-     T*"^  *■«  i"  execution  of  a 

'  aZI""^  T  ^^"^'^  °"-     Ever  since 

her  own  house.fi 'Citlfh:7ur^y:f  nTth^ 

S«  V,°h'"'T«/°'"^  °''^"  woman  fjJvev^th  hi 
Agatha  had  smiled  and  aereed  hut  h.^  a  . 

ing.  Mn,.  WoUaston  had  printed  out  th-t  ^°"^  "°'»>- 
s^«ed  to  have  created'cJ^Tb^/^'eS-: 
angle  woman  with  small  means  and  no  Ssiex 

oi.    Agam  Agatha  had  smiled  and  acquiesced-  but 

"  Yrm2'h'V"1  '"^f  r  ''*■"  -^PaSes?* 
sisted  *  '°"''^'    **"•  W°»««t°°  often  ia- 

"No,"  Agatha  would  reply 

"oh^ur!l^°'T^  ?°^"  '"'°"'''  <=°'"e  to  the  house?" 
Oh  but  they  don't,"  Agatha  would  answer  and 
the  subject  would  drop  fruitlessly  again  ' 

tha  Zh  T!!'  T'""'*^"^^^  '^^'^  changed.  Aga- 
tha had  reached  the  moment  she  had  foreseen  If 
W  men  ever  should  come  to  the  house^ne  "oun. 
man  especaHy-she  knew  she  would  be  obWd  ?o 
call  ,n  the  a.d  of  Cousin  Abby  Leggett.  She  rSned 
SI 


The   Steps   of  Hon 


or 


that  .t  was  a  httle  ridiculous  that  it  should  be  so  and 
yet  she  jnelded  to  the  instinct  which  told  her  that 
Anthony  Mmr  would  be  freer  to  con,e  and  go  if  Cousfn 
Abby  Leggett  were  there. 

mT™fr  f  ,^"  f^^t*"'^^-  It  was  a  mellow  October 
mormng    fuU  of  peace  and  sunshine.     Birds  were 

t^I^l"V^*  ^"■-  ".'^'^  '"*«  f"^*^  ««"  hung  on  t^ 
MlLtt  .t'  "'""T'  ^"^  chrysanthemums  were 
bnlhant  m  the  gardens;  here  and  there  an  immense 
hydrangea-bush  was  a  mass  of  mystic  blvi  T  vou 

^  5u-  ''^^™"°''  ^°''  l^iet  thoughts.  There  is 
something  in  its  leisurely  windingiuke  thatof  a 

TnZ  TT'^'f!  *'^°"«''  «  meadow-i^  ts  lis 
dral  aisles  m  its  comfortable,  widely  separated 
houses  and  in  its  memories  of  other  days  thaJen 
derfn7'''*f  •°".  ^'  ''''  '^''^•»-  rises  amid  g" 

Bra  tie  SfrT     ^^'^'"^  ^"^^  '°''^'^  ^^^  ^a^ 
Brattle  Street  rises  among  college  halls  and  glides  ite 

quiet  way  along  amid  homes  of  leisure  and  lea^ng 

faU  It  loses  Itself  in  the  fields.     It  is  a  street  tha^af 

^S^t^'^r}""'  ""^^  ^""^  ^*«hall  and  the 
Rue  St.  Honors  have  made  history.  Here  you  sav 
as  you  go  by.  the  stately  colomal  gentlemen  S  up 
Tory  Row;  here  they  fought  for  a  lost  cause;  herTthev 
5  d"1n't°h*'^  g"-  of  Lexington  and  hence  ttj 

the  L.«-  i°"f  '^'  ^^=^^"^  "^^-i-  >«  this  house 
the  Lees;  ,n  this  house  Riedesel  was  a  prisoner-  in 

IS  LonrfT"""^°"  r'  •'■^  ^'^  ''^P'  Ce  court 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

«J,i^£t^t"7f  "°t  *'^°'^"8  °^  •"='  surroundings  as 
IhJ^f.  «l°ng  but  none  the  less  they  soothed  her. 

S^/„f  .V^^  ^^  ^°'  *''^  ''*''*  *•>'"««•  She  felt  the 
same  of  the  whole  trend  of  life  in  Old  Cambridee  It 
was  a  satisfaction  to  her  to  belong  to  it.     She' was 

W^in°.  v^^t  ""^^^f  '**  traditions-traditions  of 
learmng.  high-mindedness  and  practical  idealism 

You  would  be  worldly  if  you  didn't  live  in  Cam- 
bridge," Mrs.  Wollaston  had  said  to  her  once  or  twi^e 
and  Agatha  admitted  that  the  remark  was  just  She 
knew  that  the  atmosphere  of  good  living  in  which  she 
had  grown  up  had  counteracted  a  certain  love  of 
pleasure  she  recognize.-'  in  herself.     When  Mr.  Wol- 

Wnftr  '.^'  "?'  "^  ^"'"^  °f  ^«5^"«'  "Cambridge 
keeps  the  nation's  conscience,"  she  felt  proud  of  hav- 

c°,5  7,^V^^  humblest  part  in  so  responsible  a  task 
She  hked  to  remember,  also,  a  remark  by  Anthony 
Muir  m  that  "Section "  of  his  book  in  which  he  treate 
of  the  sense  of  moral  responsibility  among  Ameri- 
cans. Cambridge,"  he  says,  "takes  the  ore  of  the 
nations  material  effort  and  crushes  out  the  gold  " 
She  admired  these  sentiments.     She  felt  it  a  privilege 

L  ^Hn?*,  ^^r'"""ity  i"  which  high  thinking 
was  still  the  ruling  impulse,  even  though  plain  livinf 
was  to  some  extent  given  up. 

in  M  ^^  ^t^\  *?'"'''"«  *''^*  ^"^  fi'^t  attracted  her 
>n  Muir.  She  had  known  him  a  year  or  two  as  a  clever 
young  man  whom  she  was  likely  to  meet  at  a  dinner 
or  a  dance.  He  was  one  of  the  few  men  at  Harvard 
who  went  much  into  society  in  Boston.  He  talked 
we.!  and  danced  well  and  was  very  good-looking.  It 
was  always  a  pleasure  to  her  to  meet  him.  but  she  did 
not  at  first  connect  him  with  the  more  serious  things 
S3 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

in  Hfe.  It  was  not  until  his  book  had  .appeared  in 
the  previous  winter  that  she  saw  how  pxjfound  a 
study  he  had  made  of  the  social  and  moral  pft>Wpms 
of  the  day.  His  view  was  broad,  his  grasp  was  fi^ 
and  over  every  topic  on  which  he  touched,  from  prim- 
itive ethics  to  Pennsylvania  coal-strikes,  he  threw 
the  charm  of  a  style  simple,  dignified  and  direct. 
Dry  subjects  had  never  before  been  turned  into  such 
easy  reading.  Society  and  Conscience  was  in  demand 
at  all  the  pubUc  libraries  and  in  all  the  women's 
clubs.  Ladies  who  gave  lectures  in  drawing-rooms 
made  it  the  subject  of  their  "talks  "  and  clergymen 
commended  from  the  pulpit  that  earlier  portion  of 
the  work  m  which  the  origin  and  development  of 
conscience  as  a  directing  force  in  Ufe  is  so  wonder- 
fully depicted. 

It  was  in  vain  that  the  National  and  other  serious 
reviews  called  it  an  industrious  second-hand  accom- 
plishment; it  was  in  vain  that  Muir's  Harvard  col- 
leagues spoke  of  it  as  "an  appeal  to  the  half-edu- 
cated"; Society  and  Conscience  pleased  the  pubhc 
which  is  no  small  thing  to  do  and  passed  with  many 
for  an  ennobUng  if  not  an  epoch-making  work. 

The  sympathy  Agatha  had  hitherto  felt  for  Muir  on 
the  ground  that  whatever  he  did  he  did  well,  now  took 
a  more  serious  turn.  When  she  saw  that  the  man  who 
danced  so  divinely  could  quote  Hebrew  like  an  ancient 
prophet  she  naturally  drew  the  conclusion  that  he 
was  unusual.  When  she  understood  that  the  aim  of 
his  hfe  was  to  elevate  the  poor  and  purify  the  rich  and 
lift  the  whole  tone  of  American  life  to  the  highest 
plane,  she  knew  he  had  the  same  aspirations  as  her- 
self. When  they  met  it  was  inevitable  that  they 
S4 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

should  speak  of  the  subjects  both  of  them  had  at 
heart  and  so  be  drawn  closer  together.  Agatha  found 
Mmrs  conversation  a  positive  stimulation  after  the 
inamties  of  other  young  men.  She  read  books  on 
socal  topics  m  order  to  keep  pace  with  him.  She 
broadened  her  hnes  of  study  so  as  to  understand 
somethmg  of  the  difficulties  between  labor  and  capital 

Whir  T"'J^!  '■^^°™'  ^"'^  °^  ^^^  '>°"^i"g  °f  the  poor.' 
When  she  did  not  understand,  it  was  Muir's  Oppor- 
tunity to  explain.     He  explained  well.     He  not  only 

rf'  "  ^JuV^u^'^  *""*• '"  **•«  "-"^t  d«"<=^te  fashion, 
he  turned  the  dull  and  abstract  into  the  personal  and 
warm.  Agatha  came  to  look  up  to  him  as  she  had 
never  expected  to  look  up  to  any  man.     Little  by 

i"./  I  l"l^'^  ^°,  *'''"''  °^  ^'"^  ^  °n«  t°  whom  she 
could  submit  herself. 

"Agatha  mast  marry  either  a  strong  man  who  will 

been  Mrs.  Wollaston's  often-expressed  opinion;  and 
now  the  strong  man  seemed  to  have  come.  When  he 
confided  to  her  his  plans  for  the  new  book  he  was 
sketching  out  she  took  the  action  for  an  honor;  when 
he  asked  her  advice  on  this  point  or  that,  she  felt  that 
hfe  could  offer  no  greater  privilege  than  to  help  such 
a  man  in  his  tasks.  After  that  the  rest  had  come  as  a 
T!,  1°!  f  •'"^^"d  so,  when,  two  days  ago,  Muir 
had  asked  her  to  be  his  wife,  she  had  onlv  one  answer 
to  give.  It  seemed  to  her  that  such  a  marriage  offered 
her  not  only  happiness,  but  the  chance  of  being  use- 
l\.  T°/"a"-y  for  hapriness  alone  would  have  fallen 
short  of  her  gracefully  Puritan  ideal.  So,  as  she  en- 
tered Cousin  Abby  Leggetfs  modest,  semi-detached 
dwelling  m  Riedesel  Avenue,  Agatha  was  content  both 
55 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

Tnth  the  present  moment  and  with  the  future  she  saV 
shaping  Itself  before  her. 

She  found  Cousin  Abby,  shrouded  in  a  large,  white 
apron,  m  the  act  of  dusting  her  East  India  china  and 
old,  carved,  colonial  furniture.     After  the  first  greet- 
ings had  been  exchanged  and  they  had  sat  down 
Agatha  plunged  into  her  subject  by  saying  she  had 
come  to  mvite  her  kinswoman  to  pay  her  a  long  visit. 
Of  couree  I'll  come,"  Miss  Leggett  said  at  once, 
bhe  cooed  the  words  out  of  a  luxuriantly  double  chin 
and  gave  them  a  tone  of  rich,  comforting  assurance 
She  was  a  Juno-like  person  in  whom  stateliness  was 
softened  by  an  air  pf  brisk  and  motherly  competence. 
She  was  one  of  the  few  persons  of  whom  Agatha  was 
alraid.     Her  commanding  ways  would  have  made  her 
a  person  of  importance  even  if  she  had  not  been  one 
of  the  Salem  Leggetts.     This  last  fact  not  only  gave 
her  a  patent  ot  nobihty  no  one  could  dispute,  but  also 
entitled  her  to  speak  her  mind  with  a  freedom  impossi- 
ble to  any  one  with  a  less  distinguished  circle  of  kin- 
ship.    No  one  m  Massachusetts,  she  was  accustomed 
to  boast.  Lad  more  relations,  or  was  oftener  in  mourn- 
ing, than  herself.     She  was  cousin  to  the  Royals  as 
well  as  to  the  WoUastons  and  old  families  that  had 
no  other  connecting  link  found  one  in  her. 

"Of  course  I'll  come,"  she  -epeated.     "I've  often 
wondered  why  you  didn't  ask  me  before." 
"I  wish  I  had,"  Agatha  acknowledged,  readily 
For  a  young  girl  like  you  to  Uve  alone  couldn't 
but  be  distressing  to  her  friends,  whatever  it  may 
have  been  to  herself." 

"I  didn't  mean  to  do  it  always,"  Agatha  said,  in 
self -e»t  use. 

$6 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"I   should  hope   not.     Your  poor  father   would 

"^o  T^  r?  *."°''*'*  '*•  """^  y"""  P"*"-  ""Other,  either." 

..w^?°T*3'?°7„*''"'"  ■^8**'»^  Pleaded,  again. 

Well  I  did,    Cousin  Abby  declared.    "I've  often 

wondered  what  Cousin  Fanny  WoUaston  could  be 

thintang  of  not  to  have  spoken  to  you  about  it  " 

Mrs.  WoUaston  wasn't  to  blame.     She  did  speak 
r      ■    ^1  "^PP."""  ^  '"^  headstrong.     In  any  case, 
Cousin  Abby,    she  continued,  looking  up  with  an  ap- 
pealing smile,  "you  see  I've  repented  and  so  I  hope 
you  II  come  and  stand  by  me  till— till— " 
I'Till  what?    Out  with  it." 
,','PU  a  very  trying  ceremony  is  over." 
Ah,  that's  it!"  Miss  Leggett  cried,  in  her  rich  con- 
tralto,      bo  I  m  to  come  and  throw  the  shield  of  mv 
respectability  over  a  questionable  situation.     I'm  a 
foolish  old  woman,  otherwise  I  should  refuse     You 
invite  me  not  from  love,  but  from  necessity,  and  if  I 
were  to  serve  you  right — " 

sii  ^edir  ^°"^  ^^  *°°  ^°°^  *°  '^°  ^^^•"  ^^^^^^ 

•'It's  well  for  you  that  I  am.     I  will  come  and  I'll 
watch  my  chance  to  punish  you  in  some  other  way 
Now  who  is  It  to  be  to?"  she  asked,  ungrammatically.' 
But  I  suppose  I  know  that  already.     Cousin  MaAr 
Uunster  has  been  counting  on  it  for  some  time  " 
Oh,  It  isn't  that,"  Agatha  exclaimed,  hurriedly 
Not  that!    Why  not?"  Cousin  Abby  demanded, 
imperiously.     She  disliked  being  put  in  the  wrong. 

Ihere  has  never  been  any  question  of  it,"  Agatha 
exclaimed.  6»"'«» 

"But  there  has  been  question  of  it.     We've  all 
talked  of  it.     The  very  last  time  I  saw  Cousin  Fanny 
57 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


^^'Well.  it  wasn't."  was  all  Agatha  could  find  to 

ulJ^^""  ^^^  "°*-"  ^'"^  ^88;«"  asked  again.    ••  At 
least  you  owe  it  to  me  to  tell  me  that  " 

I  will  tell  you,  Cousin  Abby.     There  are  two 

Reasons,  but  one  will  be  enough"^   He  n^ver  asKd 

.-T,*  r«^'V       And  now  If  he  didn't,  who  did?" 
"T^fif  T^        ?  ''°""'  *°  *^"  y°«'  Cousin  Abby." 

"iri  «;   A^":^  *  T,*  ''"*«^'"'  ''''°  •'  «:an  be." 
Its  Mr.  Anthony  Muir." 

"What!    The  writer  man?" 

«Z^-^A  'V^^  ^,"?"'''  Department  in  the  univer- 
sity    Agatha  explained.     "He  does  write  " 
thJr,  "^^•''■/^a''  t'ooks  myself,  but  I  keep  track  of 
them  by  what  other  people  say.     And  now,  I  come 

your  vl  mln  I:"  ''«=».-«1^"«  --ething  abou 
Cit^^tC  S"  '"^™'"?-     ^  ""«  ^««-     Where 
wasjt?    It  must  have  been  in  one  of  the  papers     It 

^"akU"^  ''""■'"'"•  '  *""•'•     I  'oo^^ed'ov'er  it  at 
;;Mine  came,  but  I  didn't  open  it,"  Agatha  said. 
It  s  m  the  dmmg-room.     I'll  go  and  look  for  it." 

A.Jh  "^T  f  ^  anything  very  nice  about  him." 
Agatha  remarked,  as  her  cousin  rose 

fhl'^"^  **"'"  wasn't."  Miss  Leggett  called  back  from 

l^Lt^T^^^'u  """''  •*  ''■"  ^he  continued,  as  sh^ 
returned.  "I  thought  it  must  have  been  in  the 
NaHonal.     It's  a  letter  signed  "Christopher  CaS>beU 

58 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

Agatha  started  at  the  name.  It  had  a  familiar 
sound,  though  she  could  not  remember  where  she  had 
neard  it. 

"  ril  read  it  to  you,"  Miss  Leggett  went  on.  sinking 
mto  her  chair  again. 

"Please  do,"  Agatha  assented.  She  was  always 
eager  to  know  what  the  papers  said  of  Muir 

Mjss  Leggett  settled  herself  and  read: 

"To  the  'Editor  of  the  '  National.' 

«J'J^*/^  S'" -In  reading  that  much-discussed  book.  Soci- 
etyond  Conscunce.  by  Mr.  Anthony  Muir,  of  .Harvard  Uni 
verity,  I  find  myself  impressed,  I  had  betier  say  altounded 

AT^!atl!!?''\t^''^  '"'"r  '"«'  P°'*'°"»  °'  that  Work  and 
ATreatue  on  the  Human  Conscience,  published  in  ,83i,-and 
written  by  my  grandfather,  the  late  Christopher  Love  Mr 
Love  was  at  that  time  Professor  of  Ethical  Philosophy  in  the 
I  ci:rt'^  °  Edinburgh.  Owing  to  circumstances'^wh  eh 
ing  and  labor  passed  almost  unnoticed  by  the  press  and 
wholly  so  by  the  public.     The  family  of'^Mr    Love  had 

th^r^nw  """>"■  ^^"^^  «=  «°ti«ly  forgotten,  when 
they  now  see  it  rescued  from  obUvion  by  Mr.  Anthony 
Muir.  The  most  casual  reader  cannot  compare  the  two 
works  without  seeing  at  a  glance  that  the  one  is  fargelv  a 

thr^ttV,'™  °*  f  l"**""-  ^''*  'e«»nblances  are  so  mi^y 
that  no  theory  of  chances  can  explain  them.  It  is  difficult 
to  give  instances  when  the  similarity  is  not  only  between 
sentences  and  paragraphs,  but  between  chapters  taken  as  a 
Whole;  and  on  this  occasion  I  content  myself  with  demand- 
ing an  explanation  from  Mr.  Muir.  Should  he  be  unwifung 
or  unable  to  give  one,  I  shall  take  such  steps  that  the  p«b 
he  at  large  may  be  in  a  position  to  judge  of  the  truth  of 

beheve  me,  dear  sir.  Yours  truly, 

"Chsistopheh  Campbell  Lovb, 
"Peebles  Professor  of  Greek, 
"University  of  Detroit." 
59 


The   Steps  of  Honor 


"K'^o^'r  JI^  ^«'*'"''«  ««*  exclamation. 

^^  You  don't  know  A„thony.otherwise;;,:*would„-t 

time  I  haven't  congratulateTyTu"  *'"'  ""^ 

_  Yon  can't  if  you  beUeve  that  t'hint  "  A«.ti..  .  v. 
pointmg  to  the  review  lying  ont^lj^''''  *"«»• 
But  I  don't,"  Miss  Leggett  lauehed      "T  ^i 

Duaster-s  Sn^tht^vStfo"  ''^"*''=^'  ^^^^^  ^""^ 

"burthL*!'  "^K^"^  *°  "«''"  «he  said  to  herself 
but  they  leave  Anthony  out  "  «rse«, 

lunS ""^Ta'^'L"''''  ^^^*'"  ^""-J-l  ^ve  after 
EZtt"  St^KerT  r'^-     ^  ^■'^  -^^ 

one  walked  rapidly,  eager  to  reach  home  and 

00 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

read  the  letter  for  herself.  As  she  went  onward  the 
sunshine  was  harder  than  it  had  been  just  now  the 
birds  «moyed  her  by  their  aimless  flittinis  L^Zthe 
trees  and  .t  seemed  foolish  of  the  flowers  to  beK! 
ing  stiU  when  summer  was  at  an  end. 


"frnmrnmrn^ 


VT 

PUIR  received  the  first  intimation  of 
t  the  letter  in  the  National  while  lunch- 
Img  that  morning  at  his  club -table 
[It  WHS  conveyed  by  Parker  Stubbs  of 
[the, English   Department,  who  threw 

whi.heateriiS;j:^th^t^if;;-ii--. 

airair,  ^h    t      "^"^  ^'^  ^^  walking   into  you 

M^;srd;tif£s;°°"««*«««^°^*^at." 

Let  s  hope  that  for  your  sake  thev  won't  "  ^=^. 
from  Fisher  the  young  instructor  in' w'o^  '"^^ 
keeps  your  book  before  the  pubUc  and  help7to  sell 

"That's  true,"  Muir  agreed.     "Better  th^*  *i, 

personalty;  it's  the  Peebles  Professor  of  Greek  at  thf 

University  of  Detroit."  *"® 

"Oh,   Love,"  threw  in  Glynn,  of  the   Latin   n» 

Hail  Columbia  is  what  he  threatens  to  give  Muir  " 
63 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

Stttbbs  went  on      "  He  accuws  him  of  .tealing  a  bit 
of  his  own  family  property." 

"Never  heard  of  the  gentleman."  Muir  said,  with 
adimrable  self-control,  as  he  helped  himself  to  the 

"Well,  Love  seems  to  insist  on  your  making  his  ac- 
quaintance," Stubbs  pursued 

"Happy  to  meet  him  any  time  he  likes,"  Muir  re- 
plied, with  the  same  air  of  indiflference.  "Did  any- 
body go  to  see  Jennison  in  '  Hamlet '  last  night?  I 
was  dining  out  and  couldn't." 

Toh«  fh'^'n'*''*  ^^^'l:  ."'*  "^  *  «°°^  "J^'l  «  i^ 
John  the  Orangeman  had  played  it." 

So  the  conversation  turned  and  did  not  touch  on 
the  Natt^  again.  Muir  was  careful  not  to  let  it 
be  seen  that  his  curiosity  was  roused,  but  on  leaving 
the  table  he  returned  hurriedly  to  his  rooms.  The 
accusing  document  was  lying  there  unopened  and  he 
tore  the  band  apart  with  fingers  that  almost  t-embled 
in  their  haste. 

The  National  is  generally  admitted  to  be  the  most 
authoritative  weekly  pubUcation  in  the  United  States 
«  IS  not  a  newspaper,  it  is  a  review.  It  belongs  to  a 
class  of  literary  journalism  of  which  London,  Paris 
and  Berlin  can  show  a  good  many  examples,  though 
the  continent  of  America  contents  itself  with  one  or 
two.  Being  almost  without  a  competitor,  the  Na- 
honal  can  be  as  prosy  as  it  likes,  and  yet  speak  for  the 
new  worid  as  the  Spectator,  the  Athen^m,  and  the 
Saturday  taken  together  cannot  speak  for  the  old 
The  most  able  men  in  politics,  science,  literature  and 
art  contribute  to  its  pages  and  if  the  result  is  dull  the 
dulness  is  of  a  superior  quality.  Though  the  Na- 
63 


The   Steps   of  H 


onor 

perwn  in  Old  Cambridge.    Many  of  1  Irt  h«      ^ 

up  and  do^/h    "T*  "  ''*  "'^'  ~"'""K  h«  eye 
letteJ'     "ThlT    K     *^*  "K"»t"re  before  reading  the 

jetrest  from  it.    I  fcnow  nothing  whaUvw  aboutT 

64  « 


■'in  . 


uv^  to 

',  half 

'■<    lilt! 


I  .11  ,d 


'ith 

I)  IS 

ic- 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

!hi  ^.v  '      P"V*;"  '  •'"*«'•  '>"»  '>'fo«'  he  turned 
I    *i*,*f°"'^  *''°"8''t  came  to  him.     "No."  he 
reflected,  "that  isn't  my  game.     I've  got 
hide  or  to  be  afraid  of.     The  frank  and 
line  Ive  got  to  take.    There  I"  he  ex- 
aloud.  as  he  flung  the  paper  from  the 
table  agam.    "He  who  runs  may  roi. 
damned  to  him!" 
When  he  descended  to  the  street  .-  w.iU  ,. 
head  more  defiantly  erect  than  ev.r,    v|  i 
eyes  flashed  and  the  color  mounted  to  his  cheelc 
he  crossed  the  Yard  it  seemed  to  him  as  >  u.    ,c. 
quamtances  he  met  were  thinking  of  the  ci,arve 
sS'^'^T*  !■'"•  *"*  '"°™"8  ^"d  that  eve^  tS: 
^t^V  ^  '«'=t«=-r°o«  would  be  discussing  it 

ZilVxt!^    •"•    ^"*  •"*  "^  "^  Scotchman  and  his 
fightmg  blood  was  up.    He  felt  himself  able  to  bear 
down,  by  his  own  personality,  everything  in  the  way 
of  suspicion,  criticism,  or  accusation. 
He  felt  so  still  when,  in  the  evening,  after  dinner 

the  M,/W.    They  were  sitting  alone  in  the  Louk 
to  th^sTi"""'  '"  "'"  '"^«*"  """^  ''''  *^- 

™l°''*"^*!,'i.!'''*  »noming,"  he  admitted;  "but  I 

Z      ITf  "^^'^  ''^^'^  *'"'«'  *°  8i^«  it  """ch  atten- 
tion.    May  I  glance  at  it  again?" 

He  took  the  review  languidly  and  looked  it  through 
Agatha  watched  him  as  he  read  '"rougn. 

6s 


The   Steps  of  Honor 


"And  this  is  what  my  vanity  has  come  taV^  »,. 
«*ughed,  when  he  had  finished     "I^!.  /    } 
thought  I  had  struck  a  new e^S'Sinq^^tn,  X^l 

AnfT^tSr^  ^'''  '^''°''  '"  «»ch  other's  tracks! 
Ijove.  as  Chnstopher  Love  on  the  heels  of  som/one 
^^Oh,  but.  Anthony,  you  don't  think  that  there  can 

pol's^v  "1f?^'^!f  ^^^  *''*  *^°  ^^f   Quite 

cSorists  .  "^j^*^^  "  "''^^y"  anticipated.  Ar! 
cnaologists  are  discovering  every  dav  that  =n™- „» 

o^  most  vaunted  modem  InveXSlgS-fiZ^  2 
terth  for  mstance-were  known  to  the  andents 
ftrtory  passes  in  cycles.  Ideas  come  round  in  reS 
«rtat.on  once  in  so  often,  like  the  fashions  fn  wS" 
dothes.  It  may  be  that  just  as  the  styles  of .  T^^l 
been  more  cr  less  in  vogue  of  late  years,  so  it  .s  S 
discussion  of  the  human  conscience     After  a  laorof 

ot  the  House  of  Bourbon;  the  death  of  Georee  IV 

years  and  ten— the  regulation  time.    It  would  be  ot,I» 
natural  if  the  same  trend  of  thought  w^e  to  r^ 
round  again.     I  must  work  it  up   dear  and  AlT 

'V  TT,  ^'"^  "'"^*  *"«  iVaiTpfys  Le  ^"^ 

They  both  laughed  and  he  threw  the  rev  ew  care 

lessly  on  the  table.  review  care- 

66 


The    Steps  of  Hon 


or 


"But  what  shall 


Let 


"About  this  letter  " 

•■Nora^^7°ir2rV*°«^<'^-^'" 
To  say  you  never  heard  of  Christopher  Love  " 

^StiU.  I  should  think  you-d  write."  she  persisted. 

•'But  if  he  goes  on.  Anthony?" 
Then  he  shaU  beat  the  idle  air-  T    ™..„   u-i 
«ttbg  d«nb  and  enigmatic  it the'spC^"'""'' 
A  Jh» f  ^''u*  ^  "''^"'  t''**  attitude  as  a  rule  " 

P«;?he  tt°e^?4d"  "^^r^l^  t  ^«  «=•-'»-«  of 

-Ke"arh^rr^^--= 

-™».    in  that  sort  of  fight  they'd  have  to  hit 
67 


The    Steps   of  H 


onor 
me  ^pretty  hard  before  I  should  be  tempted  to  Mt 

"Well,  isn't  this  hitting  pretty  hard?"  she  asked 
barely  arching  her  eyebrows  and  again  touainTS 
copy  of  the  National  with  her  fan  "°"<="">«  *"« 

"You  think  so,   dear,"   he   explained,  "because 

Tnto  me     r.  r*"^"^*  ^'^  '^^^^^  ^^at  pitc^ 
into  me.     But  I'm  used  to  it.    When  one  appears  in 

T^J  I  S'"'^*  *  ^^^  """"t-er.     No  one  can 
do  more     And  every  one  whom  one  doesn't  please 

s?phicaf  s W""  *°  '"°^"  ^"-^  --P*  -  P''"- 
"  It's  curious,"  Agatha  said,  moving  to  another 

the  same  name  last  night." 

Ivl^K  *  '°7!7-  •  ^'"'^  "°  '^°"''*' "«  I  ^^  t^fore,  thai 
I  ve  been  followmg  m  another  man's  wake  without 

f^i,  rif^'","^""/     ^''**  '°"'<*«'*  ^^''^<^^-  however, 
in.w  ^''t ,^"'"«  °*  "y  worJr  or  make  me  in  any  waj^ 

t^mnin^      '\P''^^t  ''^o   amuse   themselvL   by 
trumpmg  up  charges.  ^ 

Agatha  did  not  pursue  the  subject  further  She 
admired  Muir's  lofty  disdain  of  attack  and  she  w2 
eager  to  accept  his  opinion  as  the  right  one.  But  in 
this  instance  she  could  not  rid  herself  of  a  curious 

thoughts    kept    reverting    to    the    previous    point 

Iw  f  f '  r^."^  '^^^  ''«  ""^*  t^  the  best  judge  of 

what  to  do,  her  heart  was  heavy  wita  a  contrary  con 

viction.    "It's  noble  of  him  to  be  so  splen^d[y  °n- 

68 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

different."  she  told  herself;  but  none  the  less  she 

Xrtnir '-'"'  ^-  ^'"'^ "  '^  ^'^^  ^o:ii 

\^^^!u\^^'^  r'!  '*™"8'y  ""^^  »>«  'ent  away. 
When  the  door  closed  behind  him  she  turned  from  it 

rJ^thfr/'"*  •'"'  ''^^"'"^  '•^'^  "^^  *  failure     It 
was  the  first  evenmg  they  had  spent  together  under 

«n7r,!'^^r*^'  ™°^  '^'''  ^'^  °"«  day  to  be  h"^ 
and  she  had  looked  forward  to  it  as  the  beginning^ 
a  more  mt.mate  phase  in  their  relations  to  efch  Xr  • 
but  somehow,  now  that  it  was  over,  and  she  stood 
alone  m  the  silent  hall,  she  had  a  strange  feeu'lS 
t  :LTri!if  \^\^P"^„  Sh«  -P-- 'ed  he^^flf  fo 
ihrhln  t    1°  'rf '  '*  °*^-     ^  '^^  ^«"t  sl°wly  down 
Cousin  Ahhl'  ^'^"^"^  '^'  ^^  ^^'  ^^'  t°  """-"n^ 
hXne'SoS'       ""'"*  """'"^  "  "  ^""^^'^'^^ 
"Well?"    Miss   Leggett   questioned,   glancing   uo 
■TJt^  --i"g  Wer  as  Agatha  entere^d  the  rU^^ 
^^^the  silver  slaff  pulled  up  at  the  door  for  Loh  ,n- 

rZ^^'  ^"l!'  ^.^  g°°«  ''0«e.  if  that's  what  you  mean 

^^Z  :1^'  >"*''"  '^'^'  ^^^*'"8  herse/with  dij 
mty  m  one  of  the  green-and-gold.  Empire  arm-chaii 

«..Zh1  ^^  ^  ""*"■  ^""^   *•»«   P'a«  language 

seemed  to  me  mappropriate." 

;;i  hope  you  haven't  been  disappointed  in  him?" 

«tf  I      ?''^^PP?'nt«d,  only  disconcerted,"  Miss  Leg- 

gett  laughed.     '  He's  put  all  my  usual  tests  for  ju^g- 

f  T  w '"  T  °f  ^°?"*,-    ^  '=°"'"^"'*  ''^  '"°r«  bewildered 
If  I  were  the  classical  lady  before  whom  Jupiter  came 
down  as  a  shower  of  gold." 
"Didn't  you  think  him  nice?" 
69 


The  Steps   of  Honor 

"Nicet  I  thought  him  heavenly.  I  haven't  huA 
a^rnn  show  me  so  much  attentionLce  llZ  a  S 
^th  a  figure  and  a  color  like  Pensis  WoUaston's  X 
IIxaT'^^  '""'"'^'^  ««  '"  *!"»  conversation  and 

known  m  the  university  before."  ^ 

"Any  one  can  see  that  Anthony  is  a  gentleman  " 

Agatha  said,  coloring  with  pride  8«°"eman. 

"And  a  lady's  gentleman,"  Miss  Leggett  added 

flatter  me  mto  a  state  of  mental  incapacity   aTdU 

he  is'  thtu'gCt'^'"  '"'  ^''^^  '"'^*  ''^  '^  -P-«-"y 
"I  should  call  that  too  good  to  hp  t^,»      i 


MMmjMMir 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

Agatha  smiled  and  shook  her  head 

I  know  him  too  well,"  she  said.     "  He's  one  of  th- 

men  from  whom  you  can  look  for  r^llt  !i,-       ^"" 

who  will  always  Jve  you  ^e^  ^       *'''°^'  "^^ 

th,  ^1°^  *'"'  uf'    **y  ^^^^'  "  he's  like  that  he's 

clare^'^^^thriT"^  ^''  him."%atha  de- 
"There's  somebody  up  in  Detroit  who  thinks  there 

him  "?tr  L7Z?'^'^*  ^^  ^"  *•"=  ^--  ^'^-^ 
^Miss  Leggett  spoke  jestingly,  but  Agatha  ceased  to 

pensWeir  ^^"'''''  ''""""''  '''°"*  *'^"*'"  ^^«  *'«'*• 

stvk '^  Thlt'^Jfl'".*"''j'^°''*  ^y'^'^e-    That's  his 
?^  V  J  ^^^*  ^^  '^^'^led  me.     He'd  be  sDlen 

thJoat      t""  ^'"^""^  ^°"'  P°^^^*  -  cuttfng  ?o« 

m  righteous  mdignation."  «="uiu 

'■  No     He  was  splendid  in  his  simpUcity,  in  his  fair 
ness  and  m  his  open-mindedness  " 

;; And  you're  sure  it  wasn't  put  on?" 
Oh,  Cousin  Abby!" 

TheX!."'„**t-''°"J!^  '"*"  P''*  °"  ^  »"«=h  nowadays. 
S/,t?,     i     ^^"'  ^  superficies  of  veneer,     pj^ 

ur^l^Iin  of%r^  °°V°  ''''°'"  5^°"  =^"  ^««  the  »-^ 
ural  gram  of  the  wood,  and  that's  rough      What's 

Torts ■"'  ^°"^  '°  "^  "*""*  ^'^^  P^^'«^  P^S'^o' 
"Nothing." 

71 


^^IJ--ftS:,^iJiMMi 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


■'■ 


his"ii'r  ™"'"  '*  "  "^'  °'^"  *°  -P'y  to  «=ritid3nu  of 

cusaiifn"^'"'  '^'^  *^^  "^  -«--  -  much  a,  an  «.- 
Agatha  flushed  and  moved  uneasilv     T*  ».    *u 

Ke"  °^  ^''^  ''''^'  ^'^  '•^S^  -  Zdt 
"  He  holds  himself  above  all  th„t  ••  .i. 

cIoud-bero„t<:?4?m%"Sfl!re  tullt  r*' 

said.^r  a"S  l&Cf  1«e^;^  .£-"  Ua 
know  Anthony,  the  m^  y^"^  see  that  h^/"" 

clai^Xrh^heli;"lJr  sSe^r 'r*^- 
evening  paper   and   ri„,I^'  *?'*''  ^°'^  the 

down  at?h^-„      "H.V1'^?'  *""*  '*°°^  'ooki°« 

-gaging  y:/ng  man''^  P^m  "Smo^ld  ^  ^  T* 

7a 


The   Steps   of  Honor 
btcjc  again.    I'm  sure  he  could  do  it  easilv  «,««-i. 
Agatha  laughed  nervously  and  rose,  too 

ment  in  the  darkened  Ubrary  *^         '"°' 

L'"Jg1't"oL%?i  hooT  •  Th'ir-^  ^^^'^^ »' 

to  sho'w  that  I  be'"ve  in^S  '^^  "  "^  '^^^'^'^ 
As  she  went  up-stairs  there  was  something  of  Muir's 
own  a.r  of  haughty  defiance  in  her  look  and  beSg 


r«,H™  "'*""'  *•"»*  Agatha  should  be 

f  8hrw«  f      »'"^«^«'««'*-    Though 
l^t  Z        f.°  *"*  '^*''°«*  their  cJ;: 

•he  had  felt  certain  of  Eajt  h„(  I  '^'*^''  ^°'«' 
of  the  last  forty-ei»ht^«*^fc  '^      •*''*  '""*''  «^«»t« 

.      Po  you  think  they  really  like  it  ?".t.       ,    . 
«ously.  of  Persis,  whra  the  riri  c,.!,.  "'"*  ^'"^'  «''^- 
errand  next  morning  ^      """^  ™  """ne  Wfliog 

Death  itself  isn't  Tore    ILh      P'°P'''''  ^«'^^- 
creet."  "*   K^^rded  or  silent  or  dis- 

about  the  room  p^S  X  r^ir^*' •  ^  '^^  """^^d 

«><!  arranging  themtVawe^^'^  '^"'"  °^  "PP'^^' 

74 


The  Steps  of  Honor 


Have  you,  Persia?" 

m«tirned"f  at  Teh  tJlT  "T*  "''  »^--  ' 
didn-t  take  the  suSt  "n  tha^^  ^Jv*'''  ^"^  '^'V 
over  between  theSsS  "U'^et  irV  "'^'^"^ '* 
twer  wiU  be  great  jan  "  ^        ''  ***""■*  «>- 

to';Skt*£^„i;'^*''  °--"  ^""^a  «^<i.  trying 
"Isn't  he?    I  wish  he  would." 

Of  ^^nudi^R!^^^^^^^^'^  '^^  -rt 

fend  himself."  *'^''  '*  *8nified  to  de- 

"Do  you   know  what  I'd   Ho    it  r 
Persis  rattled  on.     " I'd  get  PaJl  dL«..  ''!"  y.°"'" 
up.    Youknowhe'sgo;fbookalli*7,*°S^*^.:! 
so  at  dinner  the  night  before  last ''  ""  '**'* 

Agatha  paused  in  her  work  and  lookerf  ,♦  d     • 

,££^-.S^n-T£3 

lov7toTo'tiLV:.^''-'"P-^»-.ed.    ..He'd 

few  nunuti"^  cSt'ersa?^  *""•  ''°"-^°"  ^'°-'  ^^^  ^ 
Let  me  see."  Pe«is  reflected.    "To-day  is  Thu«- 


The   Stepi   of  Honor 


My  and  he  comei  home  earlv     A..«»  d 

him."  '  *"*  "y  «:'"«'>«  of  finding 

«.d.  to  «t  L  the  •a™4«>  wSe  'tt  *'*.  '*'"^^  '«'* 
Ws  seat  close  up  to  h^  *  P'°^*"°'  '1''"' 

"I'm  glad  you've* come  to-dav  "  he  mM  -u 
Fanny's  at  her  Bm>_th.  uC,'  ^  "'"•  ■'•cause 
from  all  I  hew  the^  «%  v '"^.^''  ^'*'  ^  ^»"  i*.  for 
tence  of  ior^S  theX^"«Slr  "f.*""^*'  P'" 
however,  so  lone  as  it  tl£^w  **  '  "°''""«  *°  «•• 
•n  hour  ir  two  f  ^k  ^1^"^  °"/  °^  *'«'  ""V  ^"^ 
I  shouldn't  caATthJ  '"'  "  ^'"'y  ^^^  «<^P- 

thehou^toSelf  an/twf^r*^  '""'''"•    '  «^ 
"But  Mr.  w  11    .      .    *■*  *  *•»*  essential." 

She's  never  lived  anvlT^"  u^  shouldn't  she  be? 

the  heart  of'tre'co^7e'rto1pL%\"r  """^  ^- 
to  make  anybody  Kood     wSk       ^^^t"  enough 

the  right  w^tp  woKbouV:^"""  ^°"  "^  ^''-« 
ing  o;t7ear  •"  ^''  "P"^'''  -»"  ^  -"^dent  lift- 

expectXuToSSeUr  ^'•J^'^-     '  "-" 

ton.  if  she'd  speak  o?t/'^-    ^°  ^'^  ^''-  '^°"«- 

76 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


You  approve  of  my  engagement, 


"  I  don't  lee  why. 
don't  you?" 

rather  thmk  you're  beginning  to  low  your "l,fa     { 

th^  wi°'-     ^""^  ^"""y  '*°«'°"'  look  ten  yea«o5^ 
than  when  we  were  married.    You'll  never  J^nZ 

'•'whil^  '^T'  "°*;:'  ^«''*'"'  "greed,  modestly. 

Then  I  hope  Mr.  Muir  will  do  as  well  as  another  " 

anvw  ,.?"''*:.  "f  '^°"''*-    ^'"^  ""t  »««  that  I  hrve 
any  well-founded  objection  to  Muir  " 

Or  Jll-founded?" 

Season  ■•r;/°'  *"•  ™«"8ement."  he  added,  in 
'Tattr!n'  ..  ^"*\"«°8^K«'"ent«n't  a  marriage." 
.,  S^""f  y'    A/^tha  murmured,  in  assent. 

fort  iov*     .\    ,    ''^  '""^^^^^  *  «°°d  many  times  be- 
fore taking  the  last  step  of  all." 

"Oh!"  Agatha  exclaimed,   softly.     The  ooint  nf 
77 


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^S  (716)   2B8-59S9-ro» 


^1' 

!    I 


"I  I 


i     i 


The    Steps    of   Honor 


Sho-s  under  o'ne  Jat^iLdtn^'anZ"! t^irtT' 
man  doesn't  have  to  snpaW  mi  iT  ■  ,         "'^-  *''^ 

But  any  nice  girl,  Mr.  Wollaston-" 
Just  let  me  go  on,  mv  f^p^r      j^  tu  ^ 
get  engaged  I  sav      Tw  ^        .        *''''*  ""^'e-  'e*  h^ 

wouldn't  be'^LTo  .s?nse"'A°„V  if /°"?'°"=  '' 
gest  to  you  is  this    tW,  ^  "^^"^  *°  ="g- 

bound  Jtake  the  first  :2e°-""'"»  ^^^  y°-elf 

stopped htLi wIS'I'mS  '"^"^"^'^•^  ^"-^  *'•- 

norS  'For'allfkn '''"'■     '''^^'^  -'*''-  ^ere 
three  offers  SoS  L!:r;3^  '^Dryl^^  '^^'^  -°  °^ 

tiei  iLnr^dj^o:  '^'^"  ^'^^^  ^^--^^  --  -- 

•More,"  she  said,  and  checked  herself  again 
of  tl  mi°L™S,;-   ^-  wen  toMr.o.a 
had  more  experience  '^VL"''";i   ^^'^^   '^^^'^   had 
fall  an  easy  victim      I^  T^'^^K'  ^'  =°  ""^^'y  to 

high  hopes^you'l  feel  morr^'.^rf'"'  ''"^  '^^'^ 
you.     iieel  more  or  less  like  a  father  to 
78 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

we  didn  t  expect  you  to  do  anything  hasty—" 
I  assure  you  I  haven't  " 

himsdf*at"t'h".''fi'f  ^"''  ^'"^""^''  ^  '"^^  doesn't  offer 
d^rlJ^U.^'^  '"*  opportunity  he  doesn't  mean  to 

to,i'.'''"  "°'  '""■'  '^'''  ^  understand  you,  Mr.  Wollas- 

plaiSJ  '"'^J"".^'"-  ^  "^'^'^"•t  ^P'^ak  a  bit  more 
plamly.  Yours  isn't  an  uncommon  case  by  anv 
means.     All  the  older  literatures  are  full  of  just  such 

by  the  man  who  wasn't  the  one  she  fancied  The 
story  ,s  quite  a  primitive  one  and  makes  very  pretty 
medieval  poetry,  but  it  isn't  practical  enough  f'orto"^ 

vmi'^^^/r^'J''"  '^^  i"'l«'-ed,  speaking  slowly  "if 
you  thmk  I  don't  care  for  Mr.  Muir?" 

that  for^l*  ^"~"°'  ^*  ^."-  ^  =''°"'<^"'t  ^^"t"^e  to  say 
that  for  a  moment;  neither  would  Fanny.  One  can 
care  for  different  people  in  different  ways.  I  m  not 
talking  about  Muir  at  all.  I'm  only  saving  that  i 
Paul  Dunster  is  slow  he's  sure.  He  may  not^e  very 
good-looking;  but  looks  are  only  of  secondary TiZ 

fhaThe'hrs  I  "':••"''"  ^"-  '  "^""^  '^'^'^  ^hort'  a"d 
nof  to  w  if  "'u  '"  °"'  °^  ^''  ^y^=;  b"t  that  ought 
not  to  weigh  with  a  sensible  girl  like  you  " 

Of  course  it  wouldn't,"  she  said,  with  a  touch  of 
.nd.gnation.     "I've    always    found    Mr,    Dunster   a 

counrtTatT"?^  ,'"*  ^°"  ""=*"'*  """"^  °"  «-f  ac! 
count  that  I  feel  anything  more  for  him  than-" 

That  s  what  I  said  to  Fanny,"  he  broke  in      "I 

said  It  was  as  plain  as  daylight  the  way  you  felt     I 

79 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

could  see  that  when  you  went  off  in  a  hurry  to  Europe 
last  year.     'It's  nothing  but  a  tiff  between  them,'  I 
said,    and  it  will  come  right  in  the  end";  and  Fanny 
agreed  with  me.     Oh,  you  young  minxes  think  that 
we  old  people  can't  read  you.     My  dear,  we've  been 
through  It  all.     And  what  I  want  to  say  to  you  is  this  ■ 
that  there's  no  harm  done.     You've  been  gettin" 
your  experience,  that's  all.     With  regard  to  M-  'r 
you're  only  in  the  experimental  stage.     You're  not 
obliged  to  go  any  furthe-      You've  put  one  foot  on 
the  ice,  but  you've  got  th    ..cher  one  on  shore.    Find- 
mg  that  the  ice  won't  bear  you,  you  draw  back 
Vou  ve  not  only  got  a  right  to  do  it,  but  there's  no 
other  sensible  course  before  you.     Muir  will  get  over 
It.     Don't  have  any  alarm  about  that.     He's  one  of 
those  lady-killers  that  are  always  ready  for  a  change." 
You're   under   an   entire   misapprehension,    Mr. 
Wo  laston.     He  isn't  that  kind  of  man.     I  wish  I 
could  tell  you  how  noble  and  good  he  is.     You  must 
have  seen  that  from  his  book,  if  you've  read  it  " 

"I've  glanced  at  it.  It's  a  little  choppy,  but  it 
isn  t  a  bad  book.  It's  curiously  antiquated  here  and 
more  curiously  modem  there,  but  that's  not  against 

'  'And  he's  been  so  maliciously  attacked.  Have  you 
read  this?"  She  leaned  across  the  table  and  picked 
up  the  copy  of  the  National.  "  Isn't  it  shameful  that 
such  things  should  be  allowed  to  get  into  print?" 

'I've  seen  it.    The  charge  is  rather  a  strong  one 
1  suppose  Muir  will  know  how  to  answer  it." 
■'He  isn't  going  to  answer  it  at  all." 
"Ah!"  the  professor  interjected,  thrusting  out  his 
underhp. 

80 


The    Steps    of    Honor 

"He  laughed  at  it." 

"Ah!" 

"He  treats  it  with  scorn." 

"Really?  I'm  surprised  at  that.  I  know  some- 
thing about  Love,  of  Detroit,  and  I  should  call  him  a 
rather  dogged  opponent."  There  was  an  expression 
m  his  face  that  startled  Agatha. 

.uwTr^°"  '^°"''  *'''"''•"  "''^  said,  speaking  hard'y, 
that  there  can  be  anything  in  it?" 
"Possibly  not." 

"But  you  mean,  possibly  yes?" 

"I  don't  say  that.  I  li^it  myself  to  thinking  that 
the  tug-of-war  between  Love  and  Muir  will  be  an  in- 
terestmg  exhibition  of  strength." 

''But  if  Anthony  won't  engage  in  it?" 

"Then  Love  will  keep  at  him  till  he  does  If  I 
were  you,  my  dear,  I'd  do  the  same.  It  isn't  as  if 
the  accusation — " 

Agatha  raised  her  hand  with  a  protesting  move- 
ment at  the  word.  s  c 

"}L  '"I  V.^^  "  *^^  accusation,"  the  old  man  re- 
peated, deliberately,  "came  from  any  one  anony- 
mous or  obscure.  Love,  of  Detroit,  isn't  a  negligible 
quantity  in  the  world  of  letters.  If  he  goes  on  talk- 
ing, Muir  won't  be  able  to  keep  silent." 

"He  says  he  will." 

"Well,  he  knows  his  own  business  best.  In  any 
case  we  ve  nothing  to  do  with  it.  We've  only  got  to 
sit  still  and  look  for  the  outcome.  It  will  give  you 
more  time  to  make  preparations  for  your  wedding— 
if  you  get  married."  ^ 

'•I  shouldn't  put  my  marriage  off  for  this,"  Agatha 
said,  hotly. 

'  8i 


t-l 

r  i  1,1 


ifii 

F 

ill 

1'3 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

"No,  of  course  not.     I  shouldn't  advise  that  at  all • 
neither  would  Fanny.     You'd  only  not  fix  the  date 
for  a  while -just  till-tiil  we'd  see.     You'll  enjoy 
your  engagement  all  the  more  by  spinning  it  out  " 
_  I  see  you  don't  believe  in  Anthony  " 
"  I  don't  believe  in  any  one,  my  dear.     I  don't  even 
believe  in  Fanny.     For  aught  I  know,  she's  a  perfect 
Cleopatra.     And  that's  the  way  I  should  advise  you 
to  feel  about  Mutr.     Don't  begin  your  life  by  believ- 
mg   in   people,   for   you'll   be   cruelly    disillusioned. 
Mind  you.  I  don't  say  Muir  is  a  bit  worse  than  any- 
body  else.     I  m  only  cautioning  you  against  putting 
your  faith  in  any  one  so  long  as  you  can  get  up  a  sus- 
pi-?ion  against  them."  ^ 

;'I  shall  never  suspect  Anthony,  Mr.  WoUaston." 
Then  you  11  be  a  very  foolish  girl.  Look  at  Fanny 
She  s  suspected  me  every  hour  in  the  day  and  I've 
spent  my  life  throwing  dust  in  her  eyes  Depend 
upon  It  Muir  is  doing  the  same  with  you,  and  you  li 
blinded  •-'  ^°'"^"  ^^^^  ^"^  ^°'  "  ^°"  '«ty°"^self  be 
Beyond^  this  Agatha  got  no  satisfaction.  As  she 
returned  homeward,  a  half-hour  later,  she  felt,  more 

™?>,''  *''f  r°""<l  '^^  ^^^  she  had  promised  to 
niarry  there  had  risen  a  strange  atmosphere  of  dis- 
trust which  she  was  powerless  to  dispel.  It  was  even 
creeping  into  her  own  regard  for  him,  though  she  ■ 
knew  1  was  a  just  such  a  moment  as  this  that  all  her 
pnnciples  of  loyalty  and  duty  called  on  her  to  be 


VIII 


PHE  next  week's  number  of  tlie  Na- 
\T  ''f^  "°  "-eference  to  Antho  ly 
TM,""''  ,A^''^^^  breathed  more  freely. 
{The  slight  buzz  of  gossip  the  letter 
i  had  caused  died  down.  The  few  peo- 
tl,;n„    1  A  '''^  '"terested  began  to  talk  of  some- 

thing else.     Anthony  was  in  high  spirits,  and  AgaTha 

w!th  =.  Vr  ""'"^^^  °f  ^^^  ^'"'■''««'  appeared 

with  a  second  letter.     In  it  the  writer  expressed  hk 
surpnse    that  his    challenge    had  not    been  taken 

extrTcttm  t"h™™  f.^'^^  '  ^^  -«i  " 
extracts  from  the  pages  of  Anthony  Muir  and  Chris- 
topher Love.     The  passages  were  printed  side  by  s  de 
and  the  impartial  reader  was  called  upon  to  judj 
The  immediate  effect  upon  Anthony  Muir's  ac- 

who  »,  ;''  ^^  *°  "^"*^  ^  ^^^«"g  ^f  sunrise  Peo^L 
who  had  paid  no  attention  to  the  first  letter  read  the 

tTS  "wh?H'  °'-"*-     ^"'"^  '"*--*  i'-''4an 

r  i  '  f -^Vther.  It  was  clear  that  between 
the  two  works  there  was  an  astonishing  similarity 
and  admirers  oi  Society  and  Conscience  be|an  to  fore^ 
cast  the  probable  explanations  of  the  author     At  the 

X  T^'  ''""'T  '""^'^  -^'^  fruitless  inquirt 
after  A   Treatise  on  the  Human  Conscience  and  the 

83 


The   Steps   of  Ho 


nor 


f,y 


liH 


m 


name  of  Christopher  Love  was  heard  with  a  frequency 
that  would  have  flattered  the  owner  of  it  seventy 
years  before. 

"Now,  Anthony  must  speak,"  Agatha  said  to  her- 
self, when  she  read  the  National  in  the  morning.  "  I 
must  use  all  my  influence  to  make  him." 

"I  hoped  you  would  have  invited  Paul  Dunster  " 
she  said  to  Muir,  as  they  drew  near  Harvard  Bridge 
late  m   the   afternoon   of  the   same  day.     She  did 
not  dare  approach  her  topic  otherwise  than  indi- 
rectly. 
"Why?"  Muir  asked. 
"Because  I'm  fond  of  him." 
"That's  a  sufficient  reason  for  my  keeping  him 
away.     When  I  give  a  tea-party  I  don't  want  any 
one  you're  fond  of  at  it,  except  myself." 

"I  call  that  rather  cowardly.  It's  as  if  you  were 
afraid  of  a  rival.  Now,  if  I  were  in  your  place  I  should 
want  to  show  myself  daringly  confident." 

"That  might  be  foolishly  confident.  The  greater 
the  treasure  a  man  carries  the  more  fear  he  has  of 
bemg  robbed." 

"And  yet  one  can't  help  admiring  the  man  who 
throws  open  his  doors  and  says.  Come  and  rob  me  if 
you  dare." 

"I  do  admire  him— from  a  distance.  Personally  I 
prefer  to  hide  my  treasure  in  my  heart  and  run  no 
risks. 

"So  that  was  why  you  didn't  invite  Mr.  Dunster 
this  afternoon?" 

"Not  at  all.     I  didn't  invite  him  because  I  didn't 
thmk  of  It.     I  will  go  further  and  say  that  I  shouldn't 
have  invited  him  if  I  had  thought  of  it  " 
84 


m 


iti^ 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

" Really?  I  imagined  that  you  and  he  were  rather 
good  friends." 

"Our  work  throws  us  together;  but  I  think  Dun- 
ster  owes  me  something  of  a  grudge.  I  really  can't 
find  It  in  my  heart  to  blame  him  much.  I've  too  great 
a  sympathy  with  any  poor  devil  who  is  disappointed  " 

"Does  Mr.  Dunster  come  under  that  heading?  I 
didn't  know  it." 

"He  wanted  to  do  two  things,  and  he  hasi.'t  done 
them.  He  hasn't  done  them,  but  I  have.  It  isn't 
m  human  nature,  then,  not  to  have  some  amount  of 
envy." 

"Oh  yes.  it  is,  Anthony;  I'm  sure  you're  wrong 
It  s  not  only  in  human  nature  in  general,  but  it's  in 
Paul  Dunster's  nature  in  particular.  I've  known 
him  smce  we  were  children  together  and  if  there's 
one  thmg  absent  from  his  character  it's  any  kind  of 
littleness.  He's  dogged  and  tactless  and  pugnacious 
perhaps.  He  is  so  straightforward  and  high-minded 
that  he  has  no  mercy  on  any  one  who  isn't.  He  has 
neither  pity  for  moral  weakness  nor  tolerance  for 
moral  error.     I  admit  all  that,  but  he's  not  mean  " 

"Very  well,  dearest.     I'm  glad  to  hear  it.     But 
ever  since  my  bock  has  had  some  success  he  has— " 

"He  has — what,  Anthony?" 

"He  has  seemed  unpleasantly  conscious  that  his 
had  none." 

"Ah!  his  little  book  on  The  Uneducated  Public  It 
wasn't  very  pleasant  reading,  I  must  say.  It  was 
too  much  like  himself— too  positive,  too  downright 
and  perhaps  too  true.  But  that's  just  like  Paul  I 
don't  wonder  his  book  failed.  What  was  the  other 
thing  he  tried  to  do  and  couldn't?" 
8r 


111! 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"Don't  you  know?    You  ought  to." 
"I  haven't  the  slightest  idea." 
"It's  rather  hard  on  him  that  that,  too,  has  been  my 
great  success— my  greatest  success.     You  can  guess 
now,  can't  you?" 

"  I  won't  pretend  to  misunderstand  you,  Anthony 
but  again  you're  wrmg.  Paul  never  felt  for  me  any' 
thmg  but— and  if  he  had  I'm  sure  he  wouldn't  bear 
you  ill-will  on  that  account." 

"As  I  said  before,  Agatha,  I'm  glad  to  hear  it.  I 
ask  no  other  proof  than  what  you  say." 

They  reached  the   middle   of  the  bridge  and  by 
the  same  impulse  stopped  to  look  over  the  broad 
reaches  of  the  Back  Bay,  bordered  all  round  its  irreg- 
ular oval  by  lines  of  light.     They  had  strolled  this 
way  on  leaving  Westmorland  Hall,  where  Muir   as 
proctor,  had  his  rooms.     He  had  invited  Agatha  to 
a?v^"t'^  ''^"^  included  Mrs.   WoUaston  and  Cousin 
Abby  Leggett  to  give  the  necessary  air  of  propriety 
It  had  been  a  pleasant  little   festival  and  Agatha 
would  have  enjoyed  herself  had  she  been  free  from 
anxiety  at  heart.     Every  one  knows  that,  for  the 
present,  Westmorland  Hall  is  the  last  crv  of  under- 
graduate luxury.     It  stands  in  Mount  Auburn  Street 
and  in  Its  dignity  and  seclusion  is  in  marked  contrast 
with  the  httle  wooden  buildings  round  about      Its 
exterior  reminds  the  visitor  of  the  Cour  des  Adieux  at 
Fontainebleau;  its  entry  is  like  that  to  the  House  of 
Lords;  the  grand  staircase  is  modelled  on  that  of  the 
Winter  Palace  at  St.  Petersburg;  the  ideas  for  the 
marbles  come  from  the  Vatican  and  those  for  the 
stained  glass  from  the  Cathedral  at  Bourges.     For 
his  apartment  the  student  pays  more  than  he  will 
86 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

give  later  for  a  house;  but  the  generous  father  has  the 
satisfaction  of  know.,  that,  at  least,  he  has  given 
his  son  a  handsome  s'   .t  in  life. 

"Is  this  a  bit  of  the  Boston  Athensum?"  Agatha 
asked,  looking  about  Muir's  sitting-room,  "or  the 
boudoir  of  a  prima  donna?" 

"If  one  can  judge  a  man  by  his  surroundings," 
Miss  Leggett  observed,  '•I  should  put  you  down  as 
half-.-eer  and  half -sybarite." 

"Which  might  not  be  very  far  wrong."  Muir  ad- 
nutted,  laughing, 

Mrs.  Wollaston  said  nothing,  because  she  thought 
much.  She  took  note  of  everything  and  even  glanced 
surreptitiously  into  the  bedroom.  She  meant  to  de- 
scribe every  extravagant  detail  to  her  husband  on 
her  return  ;  for  she  knew  his  opinions  on  the  lux- 
ury with  which  latter-day  students  were  permitted 
to  install  themselves.  She  disapproved  of  everything 
from  the  embroidered  bed-spread  to  the  Crown  Derby 
cups;  but.  like  a  wise  lady,  she  poured  out  the  tea  in 
silence. 

Muir  was  pleased  with  the  success  of  his  entertain- 
ment and.  as  the  ladies  were  leaving,  suggested  to 
Agatha  that  they  should  take  a  walk,  while  Mrs 
Wollaston  and  Miss  Leggett  went  home.  She  ac- 
cepted the  proposition  the  more  willingly  from  the 
fact  that  It  would  give  her  the  occasion  she  sought  of 
speaking  again  of  the  claims  of  Christopher  Love 
She  had  approaci.  >d  the  subject  once  or  twice  at  tea 
but  he  had  evaded  it.  Now,  as  they  stood  on  the 
bndge,  she  shrank  from  bringing  it  up  again.  The 
October  evening  was  closing  in  and  it  was  almost 
dark.  Behind  Corey  Hill  the  sunset  light  was  only  a 
87 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


dash  of  red  and  orange  barred  with  black.     On  both 

vJolr"  '^''  "'"''"  ^^'•'"""'  ^"'''-    "I''^  'o  like 

•■Yes  it  is,"  Muir  agreed,  "if  one  has  a  ereat  deal 

of  imagination."  '^        °"' 

"Of  course  it  isn't  like  Venice,  rcallv  "  Airathn 

Snd  Canal."         """'"'  °"^  °'  *'''=  L'''"  -^  the 

"All  I  see,"  Muir  observed,  "is  Boston's  great  lost 

opportunuy     I  can't  be  pleased  with  the  b  au 'y  , Lre 

"iirh^vVbTen^''^'^^^  "■'"'^'"^  °^"-  ^-i  ttre 

H>.S^a?sjya;;i'^-nsr 

nafon  never  to  be  pleased  with  anyt^,  1  no  to 
perceive  a  merit  where  you  can  pick  a  flaw^'ltTsn't 
natural  o  young  men;  they  be£n  it  in  their  u„To 
hlwl  /  l^^^'  '^  P°'=  ^'^^  them  till  it  becomes  a 
habit  and  when  it  becomes  a  habit  it  is  a  very  bid 
one.  Im  surpnsed  that  you  should  have  It  An 
thony-you,  a  wo:  Id-renowned  wruer  and  an  assYst' 
ant  professor  of  English."  ^*' 

He,  too,  laughed,  and  was  secretly  flattered  at 
ouTnirifth!  ;'^  *"'^'"°"^'  Harv'arrrup:rd,  ! 
S Into  trf      ""  "°  °"^  '"  ^'^'^'  '-  ^''PPe'l  Ws 

;;whatnext..^.'£r;r;:trh^^rr:d°r^^^^- 

It  is  that  a  man  like  you,"  she  went  on,  trying  to 


The    Steps    of  H 


onor 


keep  the  same  tone  as  heretofore,  "should  let  himself 
be  touclied  m  h.s  honor  and  make  no  defence'^ 
He  drew  his  hand  hastily  away 

••I  wa7n'tTwlront  "• "'  '"'"''■"  ""'  '"'"'  ^""P'y- 

•■u'^rt^^i^^'Si;:  ^^«  ^^«--  -vously. 

■•Do^mtLT'""    )"    ^J^'^^l^ted.    contemptuously. 

Do  me  the  favor  of  putting  that  out  of  your  head 

as  I  ve  put  It  out  of  mine."  ' 

don?."-  ^  '^"''"  ^"*^°"^-     '  ""■'  "^^^^  "t"^"  people 
peMe5"  ^"""^"^    "^^""^  ^°  y°"  ">««"  ^y  other 

akI,^  '"*^"  ^'-  ^"^  **"•   '^  "»^t°".  and  Cousin 
Abby-and  the  public  in  ger     al.  too.  for  aught  ? 

"The  public  in  general,"  he  said,  in  ar  -rritated 
tone,  can  usually  be  trusted  to  mind  its  .  Thult 
ness.     As  for  the  WoUastons— " 

An'thnnv  "r^^?^y  ^"ything  of  you  but  what  is  kind. 
Anthony,  dear."  she  interposed,  hurriedly. 
Why  should  they?" 
'•But  they  do  think  you  ought  to  speal:  " 

like  Let"°thti''^  M  \  *''"■'  *'^*"'''"K  ^hat  they 
mine."  *''"'   °P'"'°"   ^"'^   I'"   hold 

I,."  J°'^r  "'^  Anthony,"  she  pleaded,  putting  her 
hand  rather  timidly  on  his  arm.  "O  course  vou 
know  better  than  I  do;  but  still  I  can't  th"nk  that 

ab:ut^t  V-""'"  ^"^*"^-  '  ''''  v^rj  strong? 
about  .t      You  re  so  grand  and  noble  and  superbly 

."dependent  that  you  can't  realize  what  a  little^thing 

89 


I 


The   Steps  of  Honor 


Uke  this  is  to  me.  When  your  honor  is  attacked  I 
feel  much  worse  than  if  it  were  my  own  ..*=""*  ^ 

I  wish  you  wouldn't  use  the  word  honor  in  this 
connection,  Agatha,"  he  said,  coldly. 

But  It's  the  only  one."  she  insisted.  "I'm  not 
alone  in  thinking  so."  "•       i  m  not 

hil^fJ  "''^"''^  '""'^''  P"^^""'"  he  continued,  with  a 
h  nt  of  haughtiness  in  his  voice,  "that  you  shoX'? 
discuss  me  and  my  affairs  with  other  piople  " 

But  wjen  it's  in  the  public  press,  Anthony  "  she 

cTntr^S"'^"'^  ''"''■  "^"^  ^  ^°^^<=  °^  -- 
She  was  a  high-spirited,  quick-tempered  youne 
woman,  who  was  never  slow  to  resent  the  sUghtTsf 
suspicion  of  command  or  disrespect.  But  when 
strong  natures  bend,  they  bend  low;  and  U  wTa 
proof  of  the  extent  to  which  he  had  mastered  he7?ha? 
she  bore  herself  towards  him  meekly. 

"Then  all  the  more  reason  why  you  should  show 
me  the  consideration  of  being  silent." 

How  can  I  be  silent  when  a  subiect  like  th;^  .•= 
brought  up.?    Who  could  be  silent?''  " 

eJtfv°^°"P  *'''*  ^"^  ^""^  '"^'  <^«^^'"  he  said,  more 

with  dignity"  As  r  "  ?^  r'^  ^"""^  ---t- 
wiin  oigiuty.    As  I  ye  already  told  you,  I've  made 

It  a  rule  never  to  reply  to   criticism!  however  ^^ 

^"f'^lC  ^^^  '"■"'"^  '°'  "-epeating  Miss  Legeett's 
words,  that,  ever  since  they  were  spoken,  had  burned 
»n  her  brain  like  fire-"  but,  Anthony,  love  this  iTn't 
a  criticism,  it  is  an  accusation  " 

her^hanr'"  "'"°"'''  ^""""^  "^  ^"^  ^^^^  f-- 
90 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

'•It  doesn't  need  that  any  one  should  say  so  Ifs 
there  n  prmt.  People  have  been  reading  and  talk  n^ 
of  It  for  two  weeks  past  and  now  mor^e  than  ever 
Every  one  is  waiting  for  you  to  speak." 

"And  if  I  don't?" 

tn;prtr^^£rLj:^:r^"eepatyou 

Mr.  Wollaston  know  about  this  busfness?'' 

buf  ^!  ^°''"i*  ^"""^  ^"ytl^^g  about  the  business 
but  he  does  know  something  about  the  man  hI' 
says  he  isn't  a  person  of  no  consequence     He  sav! 

He^sa^ tTat  hi?  "f  ^=*  '^'^  and^rep^tl^r 
r»t     l    aT      ,^  "°*  ^  '°^"  °f  Whose  challenge  vou 
"Tfr    •  ni^''^  "°  "°*''=^-     He  says-"      ^    ^°" 
That  w,  1  do,  dear,  if  you  please.     I've  the  great- 
est admiration  for  Professor  Wollaston,  but  I'm  not 

^lor  mine,  either,  I  suppose,"  she  said,  sadly 
Yours  IS  another  matter,  dearest.     At  present  vou 
rdrmil'''^"^"^^'  '"''  -^-  ^-  come^mrfu^" 
"I  shall  still  be  allowed  a  mind  of  my  own  I  hone  " 

JstinS  "  V  '  ^'*'r  '^^P^'-  attL^'to  sp'eak 
i«n»  >^"     7°""  ''°"  *  ''^P"^^  •"«  °f  all  privilege 
capacny  and  possibility  of  private  judgment."     ^  ' 
Oh  yes,  I  shall,"  he  answered,  in  the  same  spirit 
catching  eagerly  at  this  change  of  tone.     "  When   wo 

a  mind  of  his  own.  for  each  will  have  the  other's  " 
91 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

at  lea"   or  X  present      if  Zr''"  ^^^^  '"°-' 

I^IL^  Wrin\nrea°S  ttd  £°tK  '^°  '*• 
who^  would  undertake  the  Uf  Jl^^  ^  ^Te^ 

JiLtirx^onri^r  -oTr  *° 

planade  behind  Beacon  Street  thM^e  of  aJ^  "'" 
ran  for  miles  like  a  long.  stra^fstX  ^fff 'X 
the  Cambridge  marshes  factories  flared  wifh     i 

barrassment  on  both  sides.  "  "  ''^tn  some  em- 

On  entering  the  house  Agatha  went  straiVhf  t„  v 
carved  and  gilded  desk  and  wrot^  ^  ^^ 

tu;edTo:^r„-'L'^  ruhfvrjr^'jr """ ' "- 

you  call  that  kind  ?  In  savinrthrt  i  u  n  1°  '**  ""*■  °° 
morrow  evening  I  am  offeSl*?,  !  f  '?^'i  ^^  ^*  """^  '°- 
ance.  Should  vou  noJ^  =  JI".^  ^  ^^^'  '=''*'«=«  °f  «Pent- 
door  Of  grace'mCt  ^ Sd""""''"  "' ''  "'^"'  '  '""•  '"e 
"Yours  reproachfully, 

"Agatha  Royal." 
93 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

When  she  had  written  this  she  felt  a  slight  Uftine 
of  her  depression.  She  was  not  quite  sure  yet  that 
she  meant  to  send  it,  but  it  gave  her  at  least  the  relief 

folde7han°dr'''"^  '"'*'""  °'  ''"'"^  '^^'^  ''^'P'^^^' 


IX 

fS   ^^^   r*"'"«^    ^hen    they   had 

jthey  shouldX'so  Lter  oMa;    '''^' 
1  inevitable    but    ^  .""^"^  °'^  'ater  was 

foment  by  \li^    ^1?°"^^  *he 
^ay.     He  did  it  adroitly  w7th!"^  °"*  °^  Dunster's 
taking  flight.     Rathe?  Lndo^f  T  ^PP^^^nce  of 
not  haye  done  it  at  II       So  °  l!  ^^'"^''^  ^'  ^""^W 
following  his  walk  with  Agatha  h'  °"r,*''"  '"°™n? 
mg  the  Yard  i„  his  d^ertfoj  L    ''""  °'^"^*"  ^^°^«- 
Mu.r  was  on  his  way  from  M,  ""'1*  *°  ™««*  ^i""- 
Seyer;  it  would  haye  been  eTsythr."^^"^  Hall  to 
the  hbrary  and  allow  his  enem;  tn       °'u'  *°  ^"P  '"to 
small  cowardice  he  would  not  sto.  '"'^  ^^^    ^°  *''^t 
felt   mwardly,  he   carted   h;i^°?  ^' ^''^*''^"' ''^ 

you."  "^  ^^"n.     I  want  a  word  with 

4hf loT^of  i  i:r"^  -^^  -  him  as  a  man 

"thaVit^ii^"  i^jti"  dT ';?T-  -p'^-'i. 

tacks  upon  you  i„  thK.-.t,r:'.*'  ^"^  '^P^^^^  at: 
94 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

notruLXtt  i£  *"  r  "'^*"''=^  y-'-  ^-^  or 
not  have  spokef  so  o2  ^7"'"°"^'^-  "«  "°"'d 
the  half-seriouriokes  »t  h^  ''^'  «^^«Perated  by 
just  been  listen  nfat  4  eiXbTe"-'?  "'"'  ''^  ''^^ 

ss^°^i-s^^~r^-^^^ 

_  If  I  did  I  shouldn't  steal  it." 
You  might  do  worse,  Dunster      rt  »,™.ij  u 
better  book  for  not  being  all  Z  ov^  "  ""  '^  ^ 
__  i-ike  yours,  '  Dunster  retorted 
Like  mine,  if  it  pleases  you  to  sav  sn      M„™  ■•  u 
contjnued.  "will  you  get  ou^t  o/m7wryP  ""iZ'in'l 

and'tt™?f  ^'''  '^''^  ^''  ^^""^  °"  °«"=t«r's  shoulder 
9S 


■  '"l*i| 


V,, 


The   Steps    of    Honor 

«<  «i™,»'Lt'  :r  Sit' ;;  ^*  '"•  •»•« 

meet  him      n  J     ,  [■       *"  '^^'''^  outstretched  to 

-e  a  .o.a„.     sKrhan^d^Ta  TmoSltS 
hi'    i?"  ""^'^"'^^  ""^^^  itself  more  quickly  felt      In 

to  himself  that  it  irfK     J^.^'°"=y'     He  had  denied 
J6 


^?r 


( 


The    Steps   of  Honor 


both^"at  do:r  ^"^  "°""^"'*  •'«-■■  he  said,  as  they 

^enS  :;vor;:7kiLstd ''^^'"^'^-  •'''-  °^ 

sioned  about  you  I  iZTt  '"  y°"  ^"'1  disiUu- 
much  I  should  never  havet.  '^y"'^'^  *°  ^^«  ^ou  so 
point  of  writing  to  you  ••     ''"'"'''*t«d  myself  to  the 

^^oSll^'Z'XtT-^'  -"«■  Agatha 
used  to  be.  ^^  ™°''«  noticeable  than  it 

he'SS.  '''OneTeSef  "^'^  °"^'^  -"  -e '• 
much  more  flattering  thTnto°h"^''*  ""'"■■  '^'''^h  is  so 
of  you. "  "^  ''*'*"  *°  have  people  see  enough 

bear  since  last  year   and  1=^-     I     ''°'"^  ^  terrible 
^y  hard  at  L  to^g^t^our^f  LVJen^S 
•' YeVveJ'rf^'''"^'^^"  you  want-" 

But  evj/smiii" blgin  IXftV^n^  ^°°''  ^*  ^hat. 
shouldn't  have  come  this  Z  '''"'/ffect  on  me.     I 
through  fear  of  deal  „g  "u  fc':^^,;;?*  hadn't  been 
You  would   n=^  f6  you  a  cruel  blow." 

97 


The   Steps    of  Honor 


a  friend.     I'd  do  as  much  Tnl    *^     P"*  "y'="  °"t  for 

it  isn't  too  often     Bv^h         ^"".^''J'  day-provided 

With  tHat  ;,t"e  wEtldJ  H  Va^tf  H°f  "«"P 

■■  yI  ^w/rnofr^^  «°^"^  *-"-  ^auP  " 

■•A?e„'t^°ou  a^^"""-     ^■^■"'*  "^'^^'J  the  question." 

rNou/s'St^KS^ 

wonlarc^r:  Sf"'^'-  '"*  ^  -''P-  ^  --d 
^^No,  she  can't;  she  must  drop  the  men  she  used  to 

;;That's  ridiculous.     It  isn't  reason." 

narrolJ^Lnrlr-It^Srfh  'f  -^  ^^^^"^ 
to  one  small  househo  d  and  mat  S'thT""  ^°^ 
seem  like  empty  space     HoS  ^^*  '^  °"*«'de 

keep  her  friends  whe^'shSsno  ?  "'"''''  ^"""^ 
which  to  put  them."^  "°  '""^^'^  *  Pl'^'^e  in 

;;But  I  know  plenty  who  do  keep  them  " 

or  P^nd  tL^/r  'Z'.CTJV^'  ''^y  '- 
ship  implies  a  mutual  sv,^r,Ll^  "^"^  *'  ^ri«"d- 
of  marriage  haT nlgatiTed '•  *'^  "'^^'^  ^'^^  ^^^  '^^ 

an/wTetn??/;.trrir"?^^du- 

I  m  sorry  for  that  K=^„       V  ,       ^  °*  seriousness. 

happened,V:rat%nru?d'raTg?^''''^*^r- 
done  hitherto."  "iwiys  go  on  j^  we've 

98 


we 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

co^JS"   ^«^  ^-^  of  you.   but  you  W   .. 
^  Jf  you  were  to  ,et.a^ed  I  Should  remain  your 

'^fe.    She  might  be  the  swLp^.      "^  "^""'"^  be  my 

and  yet  she'd  be  an  antagonist  *  "'^*"''  '^"  '"^''^ 
"I  don't  believe  it      ,  ^""*'c  pnnciple." 

I  was  ma^ed  tJ^^  til'l^Tve^,!!.'?  ^«  -^  «end  if 

.    '-^dldinrtVtt^b'lLV  -  «e«... 

ing  seriously.  ■'  because  I  h«  '  ^""*  °"' ««"  «Peak- 
where  I  want  a  f„e„d^-    ''""P^"  *°  ^e  in  a  position 

I've  sSr;:  bTct^.ar^^"ow;_so  that  what 
he  added.  "She's  fotwd  wl  !  "I*"  ^o  himself 
•ne  to  help  her."     '""""^ ''"»  o"t.     She's  turning  t" 

-swerThirrhLghV^ar- '  ^■'^  -•<>.  as  if  in 

-^su^ryod:^;^^^^^ 

StSthe;^----o^^^--^ 

I  knew  you'd  sav  ««  "    i. 
eyfs  gratefully  towards  kim"r*"r':r,''^'  "f«"?  her 

'>me^r''---^^"^'^---^^^^^^ 

abouTS>tt?;.  '.''*  """''^'  ^''^'•^  was  a  second  letter 
'I  saw  it." 

Preparedfor^thas  question  so  he  parried. 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


"^*  l!'*  T"  *'^"''  °^  *t'"  he  asked 
.erio^.""'    ""*  '""^*^'  •'-''•y.  "it  wemed  very 

■'•As  Til  >  .^°  ™*'"  *«  »"°wed  himself  to  say 

•■  Exa'^t.y':""'"'  °'  *"*'"  o4lS^..."  ""  "  '^^ 

.'.£°  "*''*'■  P^°P'«  think  so?" 
Every  one." 

happy.     Anthon^aLhsLTt  anH'.'"^'^'?^  ""^  ""' 
importance  at  all"  *^  *"***"  '*  *^  "^  «<> 

"I'm  surprised  at  that." 

it  for  Wffl  "  ^""^  ""  ''^  8°°<1  *  Wend  would  do 

Du^sLiTHe'dt'isirrtt^^^^^^^^ 

could  only  return  Lr  gazf  stujldl J"'  "°  "°^''^-     «« 

articltt^-^f^o  ;t"i:arthTl"?  1^°''-  °^ 
the  cudgels  for  Muir?"  ^''^^  ^  "^""''^  t^e  «P 

other— unless  it's  you   Paul  "  ^  ^  *"■ 

ev2lSi;^r^£'^-^ed.  trying  to 
terfering  in  his  affairs."  °"''*  "^'^"^  "^^  «- 

"He  needn't  know  anything  about  it  tiU  it's  done 
too 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


the  responsibiUty  on  L;seK  "'"''''•  '  '"°'*'''  ""^^  »" 
out  on"^.  point  rketh:;'?.''"^  '"^"  "'"  ''''  *°  ^P-"^ 

yet'Lrb^ea^to7rri:''Vh*i^"^^•^"'*  *-  -^^ 

case  like  this  doesn't  do  anv  J^,,  T^?  ''""''  *°  « 
challenge  Love  to  nrodur/^^  '  ^""" "  "^^'y  *«  to 
done  Muir  can  eVa?n"^,''"P^°°f-.  When  that's 
fore."  P"'°'  ''"*  ""''"ng  is  possible  be- 

pr^T  S-ve\rthe  tT  ^^^  *°  P-'^-^  «" 
tends  to  quole  ^Yo*  ' af^  ^T"  '"''^'^  ''«'  P^^' 
dinner."  °"   '^'^   ^°  ^^^  other  night  at 

tion.  If  M^r  doesnT2ar  "  ""  '"'P""^'"''  P"''- 
him."  ^P^*""'  no  one  can  speak  for 

Coiudn-ri'^le^'i^tt'S'  "''  '  '^'  '"^^  ^^■ 
almo^^riru'tVeTpS  '""^"^  -*  "^e  word  with 

neithXr^:  ht^p^rself  r  t*  ''  ''''  ^°"  -^" 
It's  an  attitude  that  I  shouM  T  L,  ^u  ^  °"^  ^'^^  So. 
"■n  you,  Paul."  '"^  ''"'^'y  '•a^e  expected 

"Why  doesn't  he  defend  himself?" 

lOf 


I' 


The  Steps  of  Honor 

M«^^  ''"'''  '°°  P"*"^  a"d  independent  and  in 
dlff«*nt  to  reply  to  anything  so  base!^  '" 

to  ^t^uiv-'  ""'  ^«''""*'  "''*  *»•'  »-  toP-'ofty 

"And  it's  at  such  a  time  as  this,"  she  went  on 

that  a  man-especially  a  man  like  Anthony^^hould 

f  V''''  'I  r "*  "P°"  •'"  f"«d''  to  do  for  h^  whS 

IS  beneath  his  dignity  to  do  for  himself.  °  ** 

Uunster   gazed  uncomfortably  around  the   rnnm 

but  found  nothing  to  reply  """^ 

qui/tioner'  ''°"  '°"*'''''  ^°^*"  ""  "•»«»'"  'he 

"We've  never  known  each  other  very  well  "he  an 
swered,  awkwardly.  "yweii,    ne  an- 

"You  don't  believe  in  him!"  burst  from  her  lim 
before  she  i,ad  time  to  check  the  words  '^  ' 

.J:»  '""'"'d  at  her  helplessly.     He  had  none  of  the 

^^iraXr^" ''-' '°''-  '-''■  «^  -5d^ 

"  You  don't  believe  in  him!"  she  repeated     "  A«^ 

Jm  not,"  he  broke  in,  roughly. 
Then  lend  me  the  book." 

V  "^°'",i'^  ''J'^^-  "^  '•'«"  "ot  lend  you  the  book 
You  couldn't  do  anything  with  it  if  y^  had  it '' 

tion'iS-'''"  *''*  *"'  '°°''  P'°^^^  *••«  — 
hu'f^T'^.?"''  ^S^^^^''  he  inten-.pted.  springing  to 
^Iv  '  v^  ""  r*  ?°'"^  *°  *^"^  ^br  ut  this.  I'm  going 
away.  You  shouldn't  have  asked  me  here  t^nlgh? 
loa 


The   Steps   of  H 


onor 


known  something 


I'm  sorry  I  came.     I  might  hav. 
would  happen  to  distress  you—" 

"What  a  damned  fool  I  am  "  Dun^w  »,. 
to  him  olf     "  I  h^A  ~      ..  "unster  was  saymg 

looked  at  me  like  that  aTd-and-'"  ™''  '''' 

He  switched  his  cane  fiercely  al.o  it  i,;^  -  j 
on  through  the  darkness  towiKS" '"' S^ 
f^lTmr  '""  ^"-^  '  ^'^"•*  '^^  •'■    ^^t  a  died 
By  the  time  he  reached  his  rooms  he  was  r«1m„, 

103 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


If  :ll 


'ooked  at  m/so  piSly"  """'"*     "  ^"e  hadn'^ 

He  walked  to  the  bookcase  an^ 
along  a  row  of  bindings  ston.  h  1  '""'""^  ''«  Anger 
old  brown.  He  drew  k'out  an.  ^'  ^  ?'"■"«  '"  ^fu, 
''orf  liere  and  there  in  the  h  ''^  '*'  '^"^hinga 
paper  was  yellow  with  age  ihoS'ih^  ''''''^'''-  The 
and  unfaded.  Then  be  /.n^^  ■''^  P""*  '^as  clear 
and  stretched  out  Ws  -e^  f ^'^^  i°*°  ^"  arm-chJr 

».  -s?.?;;.*?  '■■«'»  • '*'■  -'»p'«- 

''hat  he  was  doing.  Wkh  '  ^  '^''  "°^  ^°°^  ^  «ee 
°«t  a  leaf  and  tofsedT  Lto  th!  r^'""""*  '^^  ^°^- 
and  another  and  another  hen  tl  V^'"  ^°°*her 
then  many  at  a  time.  He  tori  °  "V*""""  ^*  ^  *'««. 
thoughtfully.     Some  of  th»  .  '""^"y-  deliberately 

.or  at  his  feet.    The  bool  wL'^fr  'f ."''°''*  J'"  '^haii 
'ng  ^th  the  same  quiet  m^t^o^'  '"'  ''^  "«"*  °«  ^ear- 

There  :LV:tr  ■*,;,;  She?  ^*  r  ''-^  ^*  '-t- 

the  fly-leaf  on  which  wa"  11^°  ^"^^^  '°^^^^  and 
hand.  "Andrew  Muir  EdLd  'f  ^"  antiquated 
went  on  the  fire.     The  cov "?  '  'H'"    ^hat,  too, 

■'^e  fly-leaf  shrivelled  Stayinnr^^H^'"^^''''^'^' 
194  stooped  and 


The 


Steps    of  Honor 


They, 


,  Then  Dunster  3T„k°n;'''vPP^^^«l-  ^• 

^  I  ^  ,>""  ^  ^'•^"'"^  ^ /A.^     '  ''"^P  °^  ashes 

damned  fooll"        ^"''-    I™  a  fool.    I'm  a  damned; 


»HE  next  number  of  the  National  con- 
r  tamed  still  another  letter  from  Chris- 
Itopher  Campbell  Love  and  a  further 
I  instalment   of   comparative   extracts; 
I  but  if  Mrs.  WoUaston's  Bee  had  not 
met  on  the  day  following  the  appear- 
ance of  the  review  the  family  might  not,  even  then 
have  been  moved  to  decisive  action.    Life  in  Old  Cam- 
bndge  is  occupied  with  principles  rather  than  with 
personal  affairs.     Conversation  is  discreet  and  tem- 
perate, as  It  should  be  in  a  university  city  where  the 
Puritan  spirit  lingers  still.     If  you  know  a  bit  of  news 
It  is  a  reason  for  not  telling  it;  if  you  want  to  know  it 
you  must  go  at  least  as  far  as  Boston.     An  expression 
of  pubhc  opmion  is,  therefore,  difficult  to  get  af  it 
may  be  doubted  whether  there  would  be  an  uttered 
public  opmion  at  all  if  it  were  not  for  the  Bees    There 
the  Puntan  spirit  relaxes  a  little;  there  the  cultivated 
mind  ceases  at  times  to  keep  vigilant  watch  upon  the 
tongue ;  there  the  confidence,  bom  of  long-tried  friend- 
ship, slips  into  speech,  and  there  may  be  even  a  little 
gossip-the  most  delicate,  kindly,  intellectual  gossip 
—such  gossip  as  John  Endicotfs  wife  might  have  al- 
lowed herself  in  her  talks  with  Margaret  Winthrop 
r.,^  %     ^^  'l  *  "^t'°"^l  American  institution,  but  in 
Old  Cambndge,  one  may  be  allowed  to  think,  it 
io6 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

comes  to  its  perfection.  As  soon  as  a  woman-child 
.s  bom  she  is  bom  into  a  prospective  Bee  She  is  nS 
hinwif "?.-''°*''''  •'^^°^«  l^-  """ther  begins  to 
thli  J  '^r'"^-""*"  "She  will  come  out  with 
the  class  of  such-and-such  a  year."  the  lady  sayT  o 
herself,  pressmg  the  soft,  little  bundle  of  life  aelinst 

and  sT*'.  ""''  ^^o""'  ^«  •"  »he  Bee  with  So-aXo 
and  So-and-so  ai.  ■  So-and-so."     She  does  comrout 
"1th  the  class  of  such-and-such  a  year,  an?  sure 
enough,   she  joins  the  Bee  with  So-and-'so  a„d T 
and-so  and  So-and-so.     The   class-the  Hrrvard 
mrnW^r^'r*""'-'^  '=°'»P°-d  of  honest  you^g 
men  and  the  Bee  is  full  of  sweetly  pretty  Xu- 
jnost ly  with  a  serious  turn  of  mind-aU  if  theh^ 
budding-fme     There  are  four  bright  yea     of  sinT 
mg  and  dancing  and  making  merry,  Ld  whatevf; 
else  .s  done  at  Harvard,  and  then  tie  class  goe  X 
way  of  al   classes.     But  the  Bee  remains.     The  Bee 
IS  an  mst.tut.on.     The  Bee  is  a  regiment.     The  Bee 
has  a  corporate  life.     The  Bee  goes  on.     .>Ider  Bees 
are  marching  before,  younger  Bees  are  pressing  be 
hxnd_     Widowed  of  its  class  the  Bee  sets  to  wofk  t o 
do  the  best  .t  can  without  it.     Some  of  its  members 
marry   some  take  up  special  courses  of  study   some 
work  for  their  living,  some  give  themselves  t;  phi ! 
anthropy    some  remove  to  other  places,  some  die- 
but  the  Bee  goes  on.     When  the  ranks  are  thLed' 
new  aspirants,  selected  with  closer  scrutiny  than  the 
pear  -merchant  bestows  upon  the  most  precious  Ori! 
ental  specimen   are  voted  in.     Come  what  may.  the 
Bee  goes  on^   Never  was  there  a  case  known  in  his 
tory  of  a   Bee's  disbanding  or  becoming  extinc 
Those  who  entered  at  eighteen  watch  one  another's 
107 


■m 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


gether  week  after  ik  and""  '"f  '"^  ""'^  ^^'^  *°- 
support  in  the  mere  So^Hfrr'  '^*''  ^'^^'  «°'«"8 
^H..  worke.  ^or/tiKr:;^^^^-;^^ 

protserrL'^.irrt^tt^^ 

and  she  had  joined  thTfiee  ^l^  I'l*"     \°^ '*S9. 
eighteen  or  thereabouts  that  yl^f'  ?","   had  T" 

or£rL^rir--°-wet:rti.iS 

Avenue,  if  for  no  nfZ   ""'^''"^y  ^ouse  "  in  Divinity 
fact  tW  it  L,  '■^^'°"  *^'"'  •'^'^ause  of  the 

authorities      Uit  ^^"**°'«  Naboth's  vineyard  to  the 

The  ladies,  who  had  lunched  in  the  finp  oM  h;  • 
room,  were  at  wnrt  ,v      i  ^  °'"  dming- 

ip3 


The   Steps    of  Honor 


Isn  t  that  enough  of  one  size  for  this  time?"  asked 
fare  her  aptitudes  had  never  been  allowed  plav     Sh." 

-^Sied^ert^.-^£~^'^ 

andlralfet^j.*!'"^  -<^  ^^  ^"  *-.  for  all  time 

h  Jh"  """?^P^cted  reply  came  from  Mrs.  Bootle  the 
handsome,  haggard,  hawk-eyed  wife  of  thrPrnfl  * 
ch  ?r'"*''  Psychology.     Mrs.  Bootle  had  not  bJen  a 
charter-member  of  the  Bee.  she  had  been  -  votedin  " 
He^  husband  was  a  comparatively  late  comer  to  clm- 

H^^l^tSadtr— ?- 
log 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


iii! 


feeling  now  that  she  was  the  one  mistake  the  Bee  had 

that  m  the  years  that  this  Bee  has  been  at  work Tt 

tiZthfrtJr'''  *°  ^°^^'  every  h™ 
uuay  ever  born.     It  often  occurs  to  me  that  our  ohil- 

srr  Kir""*  *  "--"^ '"  ''*™' 

«,^  J°**  "^^"•"  ^"'^  ^'^-  Arlington  Revere,  "that  if 
sma  ler  provision  were  made  for  orphans  there  Sd 

any  one  leaves  orphans  on  purpose  "  *  ''"^P"'' 

It  really  may  be  questioned,"  said  Miss  Dor- 
tto 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"Aspiration  without  wingl "  o!d  P.nft  ^"t  T'!"^' 

This  was  the  opinion  of  Mrs.  Pincknev    a  MttU 

round    cu,hion.Iike  lady,  who  was  as  go^od  a    ste 

ooked.     In  a  land  where  thoughtful  minds  are  t^S^ 

to  elevate  chanty  to  the  rank  of  a  science,  Mrs  Sck 

ree' rTt'o  r"^  reactionary.     Her  first  iraXelt 

rnrlrhefon^henacr^TeTar^'^^^P"^'^^*' 
than  when  filling  the  UrSfor  the^^  feTnd  chllE 

h  msT  Twr  ""*''  "''°  °"^^*  *"  have  done"" 
mmself .     It  was  very  unwise  on  her  part  and  brought 

Lid  offic""*r  T""'°"  "'*'»  Miss  Dorchester!  who 
held  office  in  the  Associated  Charities. 

Miss  dS^W ''k*'  ^^^-  °"'y  ^"""  ^^"g'^t  foresight-" 

Miss  Dorchester  began,  m  a  lady-like  tone  of  argument. 

Ill 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

Rev^r'-'lTr"  '''"'  ^°"'"  '^'*8''''*  **"•  Arlington 

th™    K  *  V  ,^''^y°"  °"8''*  *°  <*°  everything  for 
the  poor  but  help  them." 

"You'll  never  make  me  think  that."  Mrs.  Pincknev 

sSt":f;     ""h^'P  '''^'"  «"*  ^"-^  '-^h  them  fore' 
^I^Lm   .7"'^'''^'  ^^"^  *°  "«  the  best  go.spel  " 
btill     said  Mrs.  Bootle,  returning  to  the  charge 

m  nw\Tf  f'^t  "^.^'''^  *""^  *»■«  ^'^-ith  °f  Avon: 

hill,  like  that  of  the  Oriental  sheik,  would  largely 
consist  m  garments.  There  must  certainly  be  ten 
changes  of  raiment  for  every  child—" 

"Children  are  so  destructive,"  smiled  Miss  Sunning 
the  p  esident  of  tlie  Mothers'  Conference.  No  one 
could  look  at  Miss  Sunning  without  seeing  tha°  she 

She  had^h"  ^""''"'^  'P;"^*=^  ^y  '"^^'^*''le  caUing 
She  had  the  clear,  rarefied,  virginal  aspect  of  star- 
hght  upon  snow.  She  had  meant  to  de^.cate  her  Itfe 
trMpH%  ',  \^"^°^ed  father,  only  he  had  frus! 
trated  her  plans  by  marrying  again.  Since  then  she 
had  devoted  herself  to  children  in  the  abstract.  She 
edited  a  monthly  publication  called  Child  Culture  and 
was  a  strong  advocate  of  the  theory  that  babies  should 
notbe  al  owed  to  wear  clothing  until  after  the  age  oftwo 

tn  M      n     """'^^^  °^  '""•"  **"•  B°°t'e  said,  in  reply 
to  Miss  Sunning.     "  No  one  knows  better  thkn  I  how 

but  ™:  "'  *,''^  r-  ^^^''^P^'  ^^*«^  a"'  it's  nothing 
but  maternal  jealousy  that  makes  me  sigh  to  see  so 
much  beautiful  attire  going  to  Avonhilf.  when  m^ 
^U^i:^^'  °"^  '''^  *°  --  ->>"«  the  othei: 
A  smile  went  round.  No  one  was  actually  shocked 
and  yet  it  was  felt  that  no  one  but  Mrs.  BooUe  woSJ 
have  expressed  just  that  idea  in  just  that  way. 

113 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


agai^  "  " '"°'  »"  ^'^"-h  mice."  MVaTotle  began 

wSt'^'StiSi^lTS"  '"^«^-<^  Miss 
•cal  subjects.  "  Great  r«"'!"i°''"  ^^^'  °"  ''"tan- 
small  results."  MiL  Wimhl  ;?^  ?^*'"  y'^'^J^  ^ery 
work  on  The  sSt  WM%t'^  ^'T^^  produced  a 
and  so  was  qualifieTtoTdge         '  "'  ^"^  ^''«^'"^- 

subjectri;  SnTis  Sk??'  ''^^^■"^  ='-  *°  the 
the  smartest  uni  oms  andlh?  ^""/  "'"'PP^'^  ^"^ 
but  without  a  com^ssanat  "'L'J""'^^*  """^  K"ns, 
earth  for  the  hidZ^di  JsheTri  '."'  '"'''  °" 
'""  or  S  f  ^  ^-  PrSeSo^r^Xa^^""^'  '° 
-ed°'wali7,  ttbar^'^e/*^^--"  .*^^^'  ^°"-ton 
protestation  "The  vJr!  ^  ™^"*  '''''>  ^  gesture  of 
thing  to  eat!"  '"^  P°°'"^*  °^  them  have  some- 

wimue^"SiL\r-?r.rh;r  ^'-r  "-""^^  ■'  «- 

■t  isn't  the  president's  fluh  if l"*^  ^?'^''  ^^^  that 
well  paid.     He  woull'f     -..•.*''*  Professors  are  not 
But  people  ^T^^LTctn^^^'r'  ^"  ''-'^'■y 
ing  halls  that  will  ca'rrv  tJ  ^'■^*^  ^^^'  ^°^  ^"i'd- 

It  is  a  form  o    posKo«?'Tl' ^"'^  *°  P°=terity. 
have  little  symprthy  ''  '"'''"*^  ^''^  '''>'<=h  I 

ti«e^t;  re:n;:^aHrt^r->-d.     "It's 
about  were  thinking  ies^oflL^  rS^^:/ J^^^ 


The    Steps   of   Honor 

'■Speaking  of  books,"  said  Mrs.  Arlington  Revere 
sm,hng  sweetly  towards  Mrs.  Bootle.  "l  wondir  if 
any  one  has  read  the  last  National  r 

Every  one  had  read  it,  and  every  one,  except  Mrs 

bent  her  head  over  her  sewing  and  held  ner  peace 
She  judged  wisely  that  if  she  listened  and  said  nothTng 

There  was  at  first  a  pause  of  hesitation      The  men 

vlh  f '  """'T"'  '^°"«'^*  ^he  same  subj  cTto 

ItZ  M-^T"**.  """^  y«*  «°  °"«  «ked  to  start  it 

"I  thought  Dean  Henty's  article  excellent  "  she  said 
tummg  to  the  wife  of  that  distinguished  rnkn'-nl 
vjews  regarding  the  effect  of  scientific  warfare  "n 
And  t?..T'?',°°''  '"^'"'y  ^°'""de  with  mine 
f  cal  hTm  n^''  ",f  I"''''-  A  prose  Browning 
1  call  him.     One  really  has  to  read  evervthin?  hZ 

7el  'ZZ  ^'"V''"^^  ''^^-^  °-  -^--"a't  h 
means,  and  one  isn't  quite  sure  then." 

I  must  tell  him  you  said  so,"  Mrs.  Hentv  reolied 
smiling.     ••  I  know  he'll  be  pieced  "  ^     ^       ' 

poto  of^ih'  ^''"'"'  '°°^  "  '*^P  "^"«^  *h«  ^''i^^t-e 
point  ot  the  conversation. 

cIp'L'^l'^"!^*  «  ^^"^  "^^"^  Professor  Mauser's  arti- 
cle as  to  the  effect  of  the  Martinique  eruptions  on 
114 


The    Steps    of  Honor 


S  l^lVXl^^,,  L"'""'^?*  ^  "ad  sufficiently 
^^j^l  Flowers  of  NZ^En.Z  ^"'"•'  *°  ^"^  ^»''-' 

Ri«gs/^..^''S,CBS™o„^'h^""  ^™-  P^fessor 
pearance  of  the  silver-crest  J  T''"*"^  ^"'^  «?- 
^ht.  however,  when  he  sSToa^^^^^^^^^^  He  isn"^ 
notes  with  those  of  the  robW  ?^  1"""'"^'^  °f  his 
'  M- s%tr  ^-  '  «2S:-  a™.^''-  ^'^  two  are 
Jif  ;sLf  4^^^^^^^^^  an  authority  on 

she  said  anyfwn/a?arnrwtT°'?^^^«'^"' ^ 
was  the  case  now^  whe„   he  ™I.''^'i'"^°=«-     This 
the  subject  round  which  otW  f  i'°"'"^  ''"^^;  ^^  on 
Bootle  pounced  wiTh  the  orti  '.^'^'^^"'y  «rcled  Mrs. 

And  I."  she  said  JL-    P^^"''°n  of  a  bird  of  prey 
never  read  anj^hSif  ^^  f-T "^  *°  *"« niark,  " ha;e 
^hout  that  prSg7u;r^"'°°"^''  -  *"«'««- 

her  sewing  in  workman  litl  f    u-        "^  '^"^^  g"-asped 

comfortable  in  her  s'^t "  Mrf  WoH  T  T^'  ''"'«" 

°"  Wh^  df  ^"'^  ^'^-ted''"otT:"her  '"*  ''''^'' 

-eSt^-?i;:SS-^s.^ngton  Revere 
up.  <='.ermination  to  keep  the  subject 

-^''Zl^%  f-'  Bootle  questioned  in 
somebody  else.  What  doe^'';  '°'"'''  ^''  ^°°^  f'°^ 
my  husband  wrotrflt  hfs  t  'I """"'  "  ^'  '^^^^  « 
-  Should  have  heen'^in^'^^irus^S^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

"You  do  him  injustice,  I'm  sure,"  Miss  Wimble 
protested  "Every  line  he  writes  is  so  convincing. 
His  last  work— the  one  on  Assyrian  ethics— touched 
me  profoundly." 

"I  told  him  most  of  what  to  sa>  in  that,"  Mrs 
Bootle  declared,  audaciously.  "  I  got  a  good  deal  of 
It  out  of  The  Indies'  Home  Journal." 

"What  has  given  New  England  literature  its  value 
hitherto,"  said  Miss  Dorchester,  looking  up  again 
from  her  sewing  and  speaking  in  a  precise,  didactic 
tone,  has  been  its  sincerity.  Emerson  wasn't  al- 
ways elegant,  Hawthorne  wasn't  always  broad.  Lone- 
fellow  wasn't  always  strong;  but  all  of  them  were 
always  true.  There  have  been  greater  groups  of 
writers  in  the  history  of  the  worid,  but  never  one 
more  eager  to  give  out  only  what  belonged  to  itself 
and  what  it  was  convinced  of." 

"I  don't  care  anything  about  tliut,"  \  rs.  Bootie 
declared,  with  an  air  of  large-minded  superiority  to 
the  trivial.  "  They're  all  dead,  while  this  poor  young 
Mtur  IS  living;  and  he's  very  good-looking,  too" 

But  isn't  It  for  us  New  England  women,"  Miss 
Dorchester  continued,  with  a  sweet,  patient  smile 
towards  Mrs.  Bootle,  "to  i^e  very  jealous  of  any  de- 
preciation m  the  moral  tone  of  vhat  our  authors  -rive 
to  the  worid.?  Don't  you  think  so,  Isabel?"  ''she 
asked,  turning  to  include  Miss  Bunning,  of  whose 
sympathy  she  was  sure. 

/■I've  the  greatest  liking  for  Mr.  Muir,"  Miss  Bun- 
ning admitted.  "  You  may  remember  that  I  quoted 
with  approval  in  the  July  number  of  Child  Culture 
some  remarks  on  the  child's  conscience  taken  from 
his  book.  They  struck  me  at  the  time  as  being  sug- 
ir6 


The   Steps   of   Honor 


prove  his'^L'ooence  ^i  ttTcL^:''':''  ''t-"''"'  '" 
until  he  does  one  must  naturaflTold're-,  ""T  '"' 
in  suspense."  '•"rany  noid  one  s  judgment 

Reve^e^Lwnffi^^^^  ^"^r^''  Mrs.  Arlington 
"That,  too  was  held ?n  '""''  """"'^  *"«  ~  W- 
«nd  choppe^rom'efodVThr  ^^^^^^     ^'  --  ''-n 

cula&;S;hifeeS  ZT"''^"^  "^^^^  '^  -" 
cisely  the  same  series  of  tho    ^"»' '• "'''"''"«  P™' 

same  terms  as  soConeeseHt/  '".r^^'^'^  ""^ 
number  of  words  in  th!  p     ,??  "f^^  t''*' given  the 

number  of  Weas  i^  tt  ^"^'"'h  '^"«"«g«  and  the 
chance  would  be  aLout  on.  *"«"  T'^'  ^'-  ^uir's 
four  hundred  billionc!.,       u"  ^^^  ^"""^""^  trillions. 

ney?ald!  ^h^ta^T" 'thrirnVn''  ^'^^^  ^^-•'- 
%TfdTT^^  hav?stu'mrd  o^itr.""  ^''^ 

"Ifs  ha  dly   S  th!?'"'  'r^  °'  incredulity, 
lottery  whenToftalVa'ttSr-M'^  ^r/"  » 

Mrs.'Si„5rKT;ertc;U°ho!^^  ^'-''-  -<^." 
finger.  You're  sojood  hearted  Inft"^  '  "r*"« 
all  the  most  desperate  cases  w^  ^°"u*''^  "P 
g-aman-scaLit^^^aCdyl^^^Sl: 

'■But  none  of  us  would  say  that  of  Mr.  Muir's  " 
117 


I 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

Miss  Dorchester  protested ;  •'  we  only  ask  him  to  prove 
hmself  not  gmlty.  His  case  attracts  all  the  more 
attention  from  h.s  book  having  been  so  warmly  wel- 
comed by  the  public."  ^ 

"And  for  that  reason  it  is  all  the  more  sad,"  Miss 
DUnning  said,  sententiously. 

tt,i^  ^T-  "l.'°u  *f  F^^^^  '"  '"^"'=^-  It  seemed  as  if 
the  subject  had  been  exhausted,  when  Miss  Blight 
came  to  the  rescue  and  gave  it  another  turn 

I  wonder  how  Agatha  Royal  feels  about  it?"  she 
hazarded,  looking  around  her  with  shy  watchfulness, 
as  if  she  were  listening  to  a  bird-call 

sie'hed"  ■  q^"  'X'u^^.'^^  '"'*  °^  "^'"'  ^''^  Dorchester 
sighed.  She  probably  doesn't  know  yet  how  she  feels  " 
It  s  a  fortunate  thing  for  her,"  said  Mrs.  Arling- 
ton Revere,  "  that  it  has  all  come  out  before  marriage 
and  not  afterwards."  "'<»rriage 

had  a  feeling  from  the  first  that  that  wedding  wouldn't 
take  place. 

.C^^'^  ^^^-^  1°  ^°  ^^^^'  I  suppose,"  Miss  Dor- 
chester surmised. 

''Certainly  "Miss  Running  replied,  in  a  tone  of 
authonty.  __  "The  Faculty  would  require  that,  at  the 

w;ih?"°''Fr?'^'."  ^^^  ^'^-  H^°*y'  "who've already 
withdrawn  the  invitations  to  a  dinner  they  were  going 
to  give  for  him  and  Agatha."  ^ 

an",?.°J^*  f  °""ds?"  Mrs.  Bootle  demanded,  with 
an  air  of  hawk-eyed  indignation. 

pJP^-^  '"''^l  ''P"^"^  ^'^-  H^"*^'  ^ith  a  strong 
emphasis  on  the  second  word-"  they  said  it  was  ow- 
ing to  an  aunt's  death." 

ii8 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

;;  A^haA^t  .-je  uied?-Mrs.  Bootle  demanded  again. 

br^ttreigltn?^^  ^^""^'^  "^  -PP-  she., 
little  tWng  Uk°e  tt  Jt° "  '"'"^  ^°"^  -^agement  for  a 

peaceably  Arlington  Revere  suggested, 

donJ'issj^^K-^rL^'r 

only  supposing-only  supposing,  ^^  vou     tLt  ^!" 

irPrltsTrTove^.^  ^^^  ^^^^^^^^^^^t 
right."  '°  ""^"^  '^''^"'^^^  "feeing  in  the 

Jjej  stand-point  and.  jf  or  lei'"   stSy^Hs- 
that  of  everybody  here.     Poor  Mr.  Muiri    Op'in  on 

SttSrTnrre".'^^"'-     '  ''^'^  ^^"^  "^^ 

"I'tv^f  1"?,^ .''"^'^  ^""^  ^^S^""  *°  foW  her  work 
a.ouVrM;3"/i:ltS^-'^°-«^"-"s''-aid. 

119 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

There  was  a  slightly  startled  movement  and  a  een- 
eral  recollection  that  between  the  Royal  and  Wollas- 
ton  families  the  ties  were  strong.  Each  lady  exam- 
ined her  conscience  rapidly  to  see  whether  she  had 
said  anything  at  which  Mrs.  WoUaston  could  take 
offence  but  acquitted  herself  of  having  spoken  in- 
discreetly or  without  charity. 

.    ',l^^*®if "'  ^"^  ""^y  be  innocent,"  Miss  Sunning  said 
to  Miss  Wimble  as  they  were  going  home. 

"Very  true,"  that  lady  assented,  warmly,  "even 
though  everything  so  far  tells  against  him." 


XI 


^ELL,    I   don't   see    that   thev   saiH 

T'C  '''■.  """"^^'^  ~S 

when  his  w,fe  had  given  him  an  ac- 
fsee  *■""    '™^"=ati°n   at   tht 

his  feet  before  his  sfud;  fire"  tjwS'  ^^""^ 
the  shadow,  away  from  the  hl^l      «u  "^'.*?"  ^^P'  '° 

bonnet  and  glovelas^^hen  she  Garnet  bu  'hTl'l^ 
was  thrown  off.  over  the  back  of  The  cha"r  "' 

^aS^::-s-;«^^-^ 

determination  in  her  tone.  ^     ' 

;;They  meant  what  they  said.  I  suppose." 
Oh.  they  meant  a  great  deal  more  ihan  that     Yo« 
wouldn't  expect  any  of  them  to  say  all  she  though  " 

d  JtXToVdtirr'^e^"'^  °"^-  ~  «  A 

iudgltom^n^b;  XTyo^L  .^r^: j^  ^^  ^- 

atSi?LTlt:^Be™-- 

of  -ds  is'a7ne^art"°"u,tU°of  f"^^-  ^•''^  r^*^^"^ 

Old  Cambndge  woman  will  measure  her  words  so  as 

121 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

to  convey  the  greatest  amount  of  meaning  with  the 
least  possible  responsibility  for  having  made  a  state- 
ment." 

"There's  some  truth  in  that,  dear;  and  for  that  very 
reason  it  was  easy  to  see  that,  in  every  one's  opinion, 
Mr.  Muir  is  in  a  most  painful  position." 

"Pooh!"  he  ejaculated,  slipping  down  in  his  big, 
leathern  chair  and  throwing  one  leg  over  the  other. 
He  had  a  manly  dislike  to  taking  the  tone  of  public 
opinion  from  a  Bee.  He  had  been  driven  at  times 
almost  to  disavow  his  own  beliefs,  because  Miss  Wim- 
ble or  Miss  Bunning  had  declared  publicly  their  will- 
ingness to  endorse  them.  "Pooh!"  he  said  again. 
"It  will  be  time  enough  to  think  of  that  when  we 
hear  that  some  one  in  the  college  is  giving  it  serious 
attention." 

"  There  wasn't  a  woman  present,  Hector,  who  hadn't 

some  close  connection  with  the  Faculty—"  she  began 

earnestly.  ' 

"Thank  Heaven,  there's  no  petticoat  government 

there,"  he  interposed. 

"No,  dear;  but  even  professors— even  presidents— 
can't  help  hearing  the  opinions  of  their  wives  and  sis- 
ters; and  so,  when  it  comes  to  meetings  of  the  Fac- 
ulty— " 

''It  goes  in  one  ear  and  out  the  other,"  he  grunted. 

"You  mustn't  judge  them  all  by  yourself.  Hector  " 
she  said,  humbly.  "There  are  very  few  of  them 
who  have  your  clearness  and  independence  of  mind 
Naturally  I  think  as  you  think;  but  I  know  some  fam- 
ihes,  even  in  the  college,  where  it  isn't  so.  You'll 
thmk  me  boastful,  perhaps,  but  it  has  happened  more 
than  once  that  things  which  were  thought  out  first  in 


The  Steps  of  Honor 
SSr  ^"  '^^"^  '"'^°  »-'«d  Afterwords  by 

the  pie  of  Ha^lid    There  Si  *  '''  ^'^"^^^  « 
the  college  grounds  tWH^     V,    '"^^  '^''°  «t"s 

said  to  AsatSi^;7r^:;:;::!^r'  ^^j  ^^  ^^^^^ 

ing  to  have  you  and  Mr  M^r  tn  r  ""f  V  ^'  ""^  *^y- 
that  it  must  be  they  Now  if  tt"T'  '  '  n"'='"'^«<» 
have  taken  the  matter  Z7^  ^  ^^'^^  Brownes 
you  think  that  wS"    ^'       °'  "''*°''  '^^^^'  'i°'>'t 

her^'^enrnrt^^ttrtr  ""^V"'^  ^"°-^ 
tion.  ^''Ay  *°*°  a  significant  inflec- 

ey:7b\ikT:i;:'£;,t-^^<''  ^^^  ^  ^-^  °^  *"« 

thin?"'  ^°"  ^^•"  ^'•^  ^^«"«<J.  '^we're  not  doing  any- 

^7ti:i!':^s:L^:T^.  "^  '^^^-  ^^  >'--•* 

the  Ripley  Bro^firir^V;- -£,^-' 

what  there  is  left  for  us."  "  *  ^®® 

"3 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

"With  our  responsibility  towards  Agatha—"  she 
began,  tremulously. 

"  God  bless  my  soul!"  he  cried,  sitting  suddenly  up- 
nght.  "that  giri  will  kill  me.  I  have  no  responsibility 
towards  her  any  more  than  I  have  towards  Pocahon- 
tas. I  washed  my  hands  of  her  when  she  came  of 
age." 

"Still,  Hector,  dear,  you  wouldn't  want  her  to 
marry — " 

"Wouldn't  want  her  to  marry!  She  can  marry  a 
Mormon,  for  anything  I  care;  she  can  marry  a  Turk 
and  go  mto  a  harem.  The  more  she  marries  the 
better  I  shall  be  pleased." 
''You'd  at  least  want  her  to  be  happy." 
"I've  no  objection  to  that— none  whatever.  She 
might  be  as  happy  as  an  angel  and  I  shouldn't  inter- 
fere. What  I  protest  against  is  the  theory  that  be- 
cause she  was  my  ward  before  she  was  of  age  I  must 
father  her  and  mother  her  into  her  second  child- 
hood. 

"I  don't  know  any  one,"  she  went  on,  in  her  half- 
timid  half-determined  way,  "who  would  reproach 
himself  more  if  Agatha's  marriage  didn't  turn  out  to 
be  a  fortunate  one." 

"Now,  my  dear,  good  wife,"  he  cried,  wheeling  his 
chair  round  so  as  to  face  her  as  she  sat  in  the  shadow 
why  should  I  reproach  myself?  I  shouldn't  do  it 
If  our  own  marriage  had  turned  out  to  be  an  unfortu- 
nate one.  Why  should  I  begin,  then,  for  two  young 
people  whose  destinies  are  entirely  in  their  own 
hands? 

You've  got  too  good  a  heart.  Hector,  not  to  do 


it." 


124 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

Mrs   Wo  ,  J  ""'  ^P^^  ^^°^"^^  think  it  time  to  act  - 

■  -kir^itrirs?^-*"  '^'^  --  -^  - 

.,  O"""  s'tuation !    What  situation  ?" 

him  and  we've  done  nothing  whatever  to  inqufrS 
l^ZZlTo?.  °"^^^'^^^  -"'^''^  ''^^  ^^  '™h 
in^"l'^i:?JS^--^-oracoro„er.s 
herself'dear  •-''  "^P"'''  '"^^^  ^^^'^a  can  do  it  for 
doint  k' forYe^'VhTw"?^!'"  -^^"P^^"  ^°-  '^ 
j^^And  m  the  mean  time  she  may  have  married 
"I  can't  stop  her  doing  that." 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

"Yes,  you  can,  dear.  It's  perfectly  simple.  You 
could  go  to  Paul  Dunster  and  ask  him  to  lend  you  his 
copy  of  the  original  book  from  which  Mr.  Muir  is  said 
to  have — borrowed  so  extensively." 

He  sat  up  again. 

"How  did  you  come  to  think  of  that?"  he  asked, 
with  the  air  of  being  face  to  face  with  a  wonder. 

"Just  in  the  ordinary  way,  Hector.  I've  thought 
of  it  all  along.  Mr.  Dunster  said  he  had  the  book. 
It  seems  a  natural  thing  to  ask  him  to  let  us  see  it." 

"So  it  does;  so  it  does,"  he  agreed.  "I'd  have 
thought  of  it  myself,  of  course,  if— if— if  the  idea  had 
come  to  me." 

"Of  course  you  would,  Hector,"  she  echoed.  "It 
may  have  been  something  you  said  that  suggested  it 
to  me." 

"  Probably  it  was.  In  any  case  I'll  ask  Paul  Dun- 
ster for  the  book  the  next  time  I  see  him." 

"I  wouldn't  wait  till  then,  dear,"  she  counselled, 
rising  and  throwing  her  cloak  over  her  arm,  prepara- 
tory to  going  up-stairs. 

"There's  no  hurry,"  he  returned,  as  she  left  the 
room;  but  she  knew  by  the  attitude  he  took,  slipping 
down  again  in  his  chair  before  the  fire,  that  he  was 
pondering. 

When  she  saw  him  putting  on  his  overcoat  after 
dmner  she  checked  herself  just  as  she  was  on  the 
point  of  asking  where  he  meant  to  go  at  so  late  an 
hotu*. 

Better  let  him  do  it  in  his  own  way,"  she  reflected, 
like  an  experienced  wife.     "He  has  thought  it  over] 
and  is  going  to  Paul  Dunster's." 
This  was  true;  for  twenty  minutes  later  the  pro- 

196 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

fesor  was  seated  before  the  fire  in  Dunster's  sitting- 
room  in  Calverley.  * 

lJ!J'^'^t  '""u^.  ^^'■*'  funster,  eh?"  he  remarked, 
looking  about  h-  a  "Books,  pictures,  plaster-casts 
and  fancy-work.     I  suppose  that's  the  modem  in- 

^^Tr-u^^  °^  ^''^*  ''"  surroundings  ought  to  be. 
we  did  wi,h  lesi  in  my  time." 

"I  fancy  i;'s  a  different  standard  of  taste—"  Dun- 
nZi  ^^w'  T'°8\«'=ally,  taking  a  small  chair  and 
placing  himself  on  the  other  side  of  the  fireplace  He 
was  beating  his  brains  to  find  out  why  the  old  man 
naa  come. 

"That's  it,"  Mr.  WoUaston  broke  in— "it's  a  dif- 

had  taste  in  books  and  the  women  had  taste  in 
crochet-work.  Now  it's  the  other  way  round  The 
men  are  connoisseurs  in  artistic  needle-work  and  the 
women  are  taking  to  the  books.  What's  that  thinjr 
hanging  up  there  on  the  wall  ?  Is  it  a  bit  of  Beauvais 
tapestry  or  a  patch-work  quilt?" 

"It's  an  ojd  embroidered  chasuble,"  Dunster 
laughed,  a  little  shamefacedly.  "1  picked  it  up  at 
the  Campo  dei  Fiori  in  Rome." 

"  Hmph !"  he  snorted.  "  What's  that  thing  on  the 
mantel-place?  Something  between  a  beer-mug  and 
a  bas-relief?" 

"  That's  a  bit  of  Capo  di  Monte.  I  got  it  cheap  in 
Naples,  because  it's  cracked." 

"Hmphf  What's  in  there?"  he  asked,  pointing  to 
a  half-open  door. 

"That's  my  bedroom,  sir." 
"And  in  there?" 
"My  bath-room." 

"7 


M 


The    Steps   of   Honor 

"Hmph!  We  did  without  that  in  my  time.  I 
must  say  'ou  coddle  yourselves  a  good  deal.  I  don't 
believe  in  it.  Halls  like  Calverley  do  as  much  harm 
to  Harvard  as  the  Golden  House  of  Nero  did  to 
Rome." 

"Oh,  Calverley  is  nothing  to  Westmorland,"  Dun- 
ster  laughed  again.  "  You  should  go  in  there  some 
day,  sir — " 

"That's,  Mxjir's  hall,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes;  and  he's  fitted  up  as  if  he  were  Madame  de 
Pompadour." 

"So  my  wife  says.  And  that  reminds  me,  Dun- 
ster,  of  what  I've  come  for.  Didn't  you  say  at  my 
house  one  day  not  long  ago  that  you  had  a  copy  of 
this  Christopher  LoVe  book,  about  which  the  National 
is  makinr  such  a  fuss?" 

"Did  I.  .>;:  ?"  Dunster  asked,  trying  to  summon  up 
an  expression  of  surprise. 

"Well,  didn't  you?" 

"If  you  say  I  did,  professor,  I  must  have  done 
so." 

"  Then  I  do  say  so.  And  I  want  you  to  lend  it  to 
me." 

"But  I  haven't  got  one." 

"You  haven't  got—?"  the  professor  began,  slowly. 

"No,  sir,"  Dunster  answered,  promptly. 

"You  mean  you've  lent  it?" 

"No,  I  haven't  lent  it." 

"Then  you've  given  it  away?" 

"No,  sir.     I  don't  really  possess  the  book  at  all." 

"Did  you  ever  possess  it?" 

"  Yes,  I  used  to  see  it  among  my  books.  But  some- 
how it  has  disappeared." 

138 


The   Steps    of    Honor 

"Stolen?    Do  you  think  Muir  could  have—" 

"Oh  no;  not  that.  Muir  wouldn't  do  that.  Oh 
no,  no,  Muir  mustn't  be  suspected — " 

"Then  somebody  else  may  have  walked  off  with  it." 

"No,  not  that  either  — or  rather,  perhaps  so" 
Dunster  said,  confusedly.  "Yes,  I  imagine  some 
one  must  have  picked  it  up  and  carried  it  home." 

"That  ought  to  be  looked  into.  We  can't  have 
book-thieves  about." 

"Oh,  I  don't  suppose,  after  all,  that  anybody  did 
carry  it  off.     It's  just — it's  just — " 

II  Disappeared,"  the  professor  suggested. 

"Yes;  exactly.  It  disappeared,"  Dunster  agreed, 
nervously. 

"  Went  off  on  its  own  legs,  so  to  speak,"  the  old  man 
continued,  dryly. 

Dunster  tried  to  laugh. 

"Went  up  the  chimney,  I  dare  say,"  Mr.  Wollaston 
pursued. 

"Oh,  sir,"  Dunster  protested,  "why  do  you  sav 
that?"  ^ 

"Why  do  I  say  that,  Dunster?  Just  because  I 
think  you're  the  sort  of  chivalrous  young  idiot  who 
would  make  away  with  a  compromising  document 
rather  than  have  it  lying  around  as  a  witness  against 
some  one  else." 

"You  do  me  injustice,  sir,"  Dunster  cried. 

"Not  a  bit  of  it.  I  don't  do  you  injustice  enough. 
In  my  time  young  fellows  had  energy  even  if  they  had 
no  embroidered  chasubles  hanging  on  their  walls. 
They  could  do  without  a  bath-room  at  the  head  of 
everybody's  bed,  but  they  didn't  let  slip  the  chance 
to  press  their  own  advantage." 
°  129 


111  ^ 


}d 


The   Steps    of  Honor 


Dunster  said,  a  little 


"I  don't  follow  you.  sir' 
•tiffly. 

^^■•Thry  were  of  the  opinion  that  all's  fair  in  love  and 

"But  it  isn't,"  Dunster  broke  in 
'Now.  that's  just  what  I'd  expect  you  to  say 
You  re  one  of  those  supersensitively  honorable  chaps 
he  thought  the  contest  unequal. " 

'•If  you  intend  that  as  a  compliment,  sir-"  Dun- 
ster  began,  eagerly. 

™J  K^w•i  '^°"'*-  ^  ''^^  8°'"8  °"  to  say  that  it's 
a^t"^  thelir  '*  T"  '|:^«^  Christopher  Love's  book 
Inotw  I  ^"'^  l?J^^^  ^""'°"y  Muir  might  have 
another  chance.  I'd  expect  it  of  you,  Dunster.  I've 
seen  signs  of  weakness  in  you  before  now.  It's  just 
such  a  foohsh  bit  of  self-sacrifice  as  your  Puritan 
blood  would  prompt  you  to.     The  whole  history  o" 

show  mercy  on  every  one  but  themselves.     It's  a 

great  mistake,  Dunster.     I'm  not  surprised  at  you 

but  It's  a  great  mistake."  -"you, 

;;rm  not  doing  it,"  Dunster  cried,  passionately. 

ChZn^i      Don't  tell  me!     Do  you  mean  to  say  that 
Chnstopher  Love's  book  didn't—" 

some'thTnglt'o^hr^'^^  ^'"^  *  «^^*"«  °^  ^''--S 

flulh  fntlstt  "•  '^•"  °'"^*"  '''''''•  -*•>  ^  --^ 
.hn?r.*^?.^°°''    "^^"y    't-     Ah,    Dunster,    you 
It  s  all  very  well  to  be  lenient,  but  not  to  kick  a  man 
when  he's  down,  or  when,  at  least,  he's  about  to  "all 
130 


The   Steps   of  H 


ooor 


'Great  Heavens,  sir'     I  lontho  ti,.  ..  ,^ 

cried,  springing  to' his  feet^^EieT'-T""!" 
ed  recovering  himself  and  sitfng  dow^  a  Jn  ^^i 
didn't  mean  to  sav  that      Tt  ci;J    j  ^*"''      ^ 

will.  I  don't  like  Mufr  /'"  P*'^"''  °"'  "^^'"'^  ""V 
you  now.     I  never  did  H  Jh  'T '"*'  "'^'  ^'""^ 

son.     He's  f  ^^liJhtr/nJ'Sa^sibL??^  '-'*  "^ 

"I  hf  f°i":r„red'  :;r°^s  "j^-d  ^'^'^• 

So,  just  because  vou  donV  it!  nr  •  "  Harvard, 

with  a  book  that  mlhf  K  ^""■'  y°"  '"^'J"  ^''aV 

DunstfT T.'o  ^.  '  ''^  P''°°f  against  him.     Well 

..  I  ^- J         ''°"^  *''an  I  thought  "  ' 

guarded'  ""  ''  '"'  ''^*  "''^°"  "  '°"-*-  -'",  un- 

oft';n°'thi:''::f  as;*  s:  t*  ^"-  ^^^^  ^^'^ 

it  wtlTyoi-rVaTouTir-'  *°  "^''^  ^  '^'^^^  '^--^  "^ 

iw: -^.r^cC^^^r^-- --■-.'■ 

"No.  I  don't  deny  it.     I  made  away  with  it.     It 
131 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

'Ustice^but— ^"  ""^  '"*''''''  ^"^^^  '°  ''°''^  **'"'■  "P  *" 
"But  you  thought  it  wasn't  your  duty  to  turn  hang- 
man as  long  as  there's  a  hangman  appointed  by  the 

rfJn^^'  ^  '^•''"'*  *•'!"''  tJ'^t  ^t  «"■  I  should  have  been 
glad  to  expose  Muir,  as  I  could  have  exposed  him  if  I 
had  kept  the  book.  I  hate  him,  It  would  be  Tsat- 
isfaction  to  me  to  see  him  hissed  out  of  Harvard,  as 
he  deserves  to  be.     I  burned  the  book  because-^b^ 

Dunster's  lip  trembled.     His  eyes,  with  their  cu- 
nous   asfgrnatized  glance,  were  feverishly  bright 

I  burned  the  bofek,"  he  began  again,  'because— 
because— Miss  Royal—"  oecause— 

"Ah,  another  foolish  reason  " 
at  la!t''-Tn^^T  w^?rl'°^"f  ''''"'"  ^"^'"^  fi°i«hed, 
woinVher  ■■  ''  '""  ''^^  '*  "^^"^ 

n,  J  V  P'°l^'"°.'"  STunted,  scratched  his  head,  thrust 
out  his  under-hp,  and  shifted  in  his  seat 

I  m  trying  to  think,"  he  said,  after  a  pause   "in 

Sir  .  **?'  t'"  "''"■"*"^^^  ^"^^^'^  ^  case'^like  ihat 
Dear,  dear!    Twenty  years  ago  I  should  have  had  U 

at  my  tonpe's-end.  My  memory's  going.  There's 
nodoubt  about  it.  Let  mesee,  now.  I  think  t's the 
old  Spanish  ballad  of  DoHa  Pilar.  Dofia  Pilar  wS 
InTl"^'^  r°'°^r-     Theirnames  wereDon  DilS 

the'  other  :rnh,  "^'^  °T  ""'  "  ""^'^""^  -"^"S 
the  other  a  noble  gentleman.     Of  course,  being  a 

woman,  she  loved  the  brute.     Then,  for  her  sake 

Don  Pehpe  saved  the  bandit  from  the  gallows  and 

consecrated  his  life  to  the  service  of  fhem  both 

13a 


The    Steps   of   Honor 


soZrha?''  ""^°"'  '"'"  ^"-'-  -I'^'i.  bridling 
"For  the  moral." 
.'.'A°'^  ""^y  I  ask  what  that  is?" 
Only  this:  that  a  woman  who  loves  one  n,,^  „iii 
accept  the  sacrifice  of  another  man  X  WesTer  and 
take  It  as  a  matter  of  course      T  Hr,r,'t  7 

wo'ufdT'  ''°'"'"  '^^'**-     '  """'^  b«««^«  -"  women 

I  k3w?/™  f  ^  '"'"^  ''°"^"-  I'lnster.  you  say  all 
I  know  them  through  and  through  and  ihere  itn-rl' 
pmch  of  difference  between  them.     Nowlf  vou  i*^ 

yrvet:nf^.«^°*'^'"'^--^^'>'^°fy°"^ 

"But  I  don't,  sir." 

well^lh""^'''/".""'^'  *°°=  ^"*  I  ^"PPO'^e  it's  just  as 
well.  She  won't  do  it.  and  by  not  expecting  it  wil 
e  cape  bemg  disappointed.  I've  no  patience  with  the 
a  tnnst.c  romance  of  such  young  Zn  as  "ou  iJ: 
P  aS  and""  "°"''  '°""'*'^  --h-ni^tic;  it's  un! 
.C  W^n"^,y'''°'*''°"'  """^  °"Sht  to  be  made 
Illegal.  Well,  he  continued,  rising,  and  standing  for 
a  mmute  with  his  back  to  the  fire,^"rd  bettetbe  oS 
home.  I  ought  to  have  stayed 'there,  for  thea1 
^33 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


^r.  VJT  ^"°^  '^^'  °"«  °f  °«  rising  you„K 

buraed  a  document  that  might  have  ousted  the  mln 

ZnZ  r'  ^^'^i°^  ''™-     «  Muir  had  gone  you 

SssorC.      '!r  t"'^  "^^^^  made'assistant 

WheXmy'?vt:o:tr'"*'"^'°'^°^ 

ag2'°  he  was  ready  to  go  he  looked  round  the  room 

v,hhK*\'^^  bath-room?"  the  old  man  said,  pointing 
with  his  stick  towards  the  door.  P"»niing 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Let  me  look  at  it." 

He  crossed  the  rooip  and  pushed  the  door  open 

threfhold°a1d     ,  °°°!,'"-  '^  ''^'^-  ^  '^^  ^*°°d  '»  the 
threshold  and  glanced  in.     "Blue  tiles,  a  porcelain 
tub.   a  shower-bath,   three  kinds  of  s^ap    eau  de 
cologne    clean  towels  enough  for  an  army,  and  an 

ot  S"1hM  ^;y°"\^«PP-'  It's  Shameful 
uunster.  The  Faculty  ought  really  to  put  a  stoo  to 
this  enervating  luxury.  No  wonder  the  tone  of  Har 
vard  IS  going  down."  "^"^^ 

su'gg^Lr^^^"  cleanliness  is  going  up."  Dunster 

"In  my  time  we  could  keep  clean  without  so  much 
machinery     But  I'll  be  off-m  be  off." 

Dunster  hS.]°hT'^\''''  ""^^  °'  '""^  apartment, 
uunster  humed  before  him  and  held  it  open 

fo..  iL   "     7'  an  instructor,"  the  old  man  said,  he- 
fore  he  passed  out,  "if  a  professor  of  years  and  st^nd 
"Jg  paid  me  the  attention-showed  me  the  hono"  j 

the  mght.  It  was  my  custom  to  speak  up  before  he  left 
134 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


Oh,  but,  professor,  do  let  mpl"  n,.-  ^         .   . 
coloring,  but  smiling  ^'     ^'*"''«'"  '^'^' 

I  wL^'Tfrlt''^'''  °'^''"''^'  ""'J'  ^'•^t  I  didn't  dare 
I  jas   afraid   my  company  might  be  forced  upon 

yo:  iSldXrvSylurme  "L^f '  ^T' 
Good-night.     Get  away  CmXdoo^r"oVfhT;ir':^!i 

He  shook  Dunster's  hand,  closed  the  door  »n,l  t, 
gan  stumbling  down  the  stkirs  '    ""^  ^^^ 

uun  I  waiJc  down.     Let  me  ring  for  the  lift      Mr, 
body  ever  walks  up  or  down  stai^  in  Calveriey  " 

lasto^^rm*S.^^f?i7:e'"^-- 

erSL;°;hr°"  a/d  mu^tTrail^d  1^^ 
ered  as  ,f  they  had  no  use  of  their  limbs.     Well  Isub- 

h^m'to't^e^ff  ^'^^  "^  '''  ^""-'^  ^-t-  toSe 

ma^-f^nL'^''  ""''  '"  *"''  ^*'^^  •-«  ^--^  »•>«  Xo-g 
"So  the  long  and  the  short  of  it  is  "  he  said   „ 
-mmg  the  earlier  theme  of  their  conversatr" ihat" 
»35 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

you  know  Anthony  Muir  to  be  guilty  of  the  charees 
made  against  him."  ■"«"» 

"I  do;  but  I  don't  want  to  be  a  witness  for  the 
prosecution."  ' 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  me  before?" 
Because  I  waited,  sir,  for  Muir  to  tell  you  himself 

Lcedte..'     "'  '''  ''  °"'  *°-'^«'^*  "'-  hS 

S^u'^'"  f^  P^fessor  asked,  in  the  tone,  unusual 
^th  bm  of  one  seeking  advice-"now  what  wo^d 
you  do  if  you  were  in  my  place?" 

thiZZ.T'l  1°  ^"y*!^-"?.  sir.  No  one  can  do  any- 
t^ng  without  the  original  book.  And,  as  far  as  1  am 
aware  the  only  copy.of  that  is  in  Detroit,  unless  as  Z 
probable,  Muir  has  one  himself."  ' 

"So  that  Muir  is  safe." 

he'is^'  ^^'  ^  ''^  ^"^  '°  ^^^^^^  "^^^  ^°  anything, 

.    "And  do  you  think-of  course  I'm  only  speculat- 

plan  to  let  him  stay  safe?"  * 

evZ°l"''*°'.*°i'*  ^"^  °*^    '^^''^'^  something 
eveiy  man  must  judge  for  himself,  sir  " 

But  you?    How  do  you  feel  about  it,  Dunster? 
Dunster  stopped  in  his  walk 

l^Z'.w"'!^*^"'"  ^^  '^'*'  "  I  I'^t^  the  fellow.  You 
know  that  already.  But  I  tell  you  frankly  that  I  feel 
Uke  a  repneved  prisoner  ever  since  that  cursed  book 
went  up  in  smoke  and  I  haven't  got  the  responsibility 
of  breaking  another  man's  career." 
"That's  weak,  very  weak,  Dunster,"  he  said   se- 

v™^-     7?\'"'^^'   '°  ^'  «°^«  public -sSrited 

You  wouldn't  be  upheld  by  a  court  of  honor,  and  ii 

136 


The  Steps    of  Honor 

tLfsx »;' ""  >■" " "»' '  "-■•  ■»- 

She  had  heard  only  a  partial  recital  r,t  ♦!,»  . 

t..e  incnminat  ng  volume     How  it  i,=^   r  P°^^®^^^° 
he  kept  to  himself.  "  ''^'^  disappeared 

M.^^Wo?w'*  ''''^  "  '''°"''*  ''^^'^  happened  so." 
fa^'  ^°"^*°"7««t  °n.  in  mild  complaint  again  t 
fate.       None  of  the  other  Dunsters  have  casts  L 
the,r  eyes   and  Frank  and  Maurice  are  taU  enoU 
Just  an  mch  or  two  would  have  made  all  the  difference 

beef so^SabL"^^*''^'  ''''  ''^  »^**  ^"'^  ^-« 

Hn'!^°  ^""'^  f^^*'  '"^^''  'worthless  considerations 
do  women's  affections  hang."  the  professor  remarked 
scornfully,  and  shuffled  off  to  bed  remarKed, 


XII 

PNTHONY  MUIR  threw  himself  half- 
■^dressed  L.o  his  big  reading  -  chair. 
He  had  nsen  late  after  a  restless  night. 
,  That  he  had  slept  little  was  evident 
[  from  the  pallor  of  his  face  and  the 
^ic^  J  "  t  L-  i  ''"^®  ""<^^'"  •'is  tired  eyes.  The 
disorder  of  his  blond  .hair  heightened  the  somewhat 
desperate  air  that  hung  about  him.  He  had  tura^ 
away  in  disgust  from  the  reflection  of  himself  S 

lo  drei  '"""'"'■•     "^  "^^  *°°  --'^-  ^°°  -S 

<n.»f '  ''•"V^^^  fi«d  themselves  on  the  ashes  in  the 
grate  and  he  stared  in  a  kind  of  stupor 

aloul    *  "  "'"  ''"^  "''^'  °'  '*'"  he  muttered, 

By-and-by  he  put  out  his  hand  and  took  up  a  note 

that  lay  on  the  table.     It  was  dated  yest^dVy"and 

twelve  to-m^orJoVlrdVulir  ""'T^^   ^'"^   -^ 
something  impor^IknTt'o'tX  to^'oi^rotr  "^^     '  "^^^ 
"Yours  truly, 

"Hector  Wollaston  " 

tosS'it' wJ''  '■'"''  '°^  ''''  *'^«"««'h  time  and 
tossed  It  back  again  on  the  table 

'38 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

q'tTi^  ""Tu"  ''..^°!"^  *°  ^^8*"'"  he  said  to  himself 

etter  from  his  publishers,  received  hi  th.^- '  " 
invited  him  to  do  the  same  Hoi  .  v.  ^''^"'"«' 
with  Agatha  and  M  ss  Legeett  ■  ^ut  noVn  ^-^^^  '^f '"^ 
them,  he  had  sent  an  ex  uL"' Neither  dS  he' *°^' 
to  present  himself  at  his  club-tabTe  xJete  had  h  ' 
a  curious  attitude  towards  him  there  for  ten  H." 

jest    to  the  later  charges   in  the  National  indicated 
that  h,s  fnends  were  taking  them  seriously     He  h^H 

and  had""1'^  '"  "  '""^''■'^''  Bostorrestfurant 
and  had  spent  not  only  the  evening  but  the  night  in 

T^  /^°  '""^  consistent  line  of  action 
He  had  found  nothing  better  than  that  which  he 

1  know  nothmg  whatever  about  it,"  had  been  his 
ThtSlrdTn^self"  "-"^'^  ^^*^*^-  *^-^e 

ronll T  •  ^''^  "^^^  °f  P''°°f  that  could  be 
collected  agamst  him  he  must  present  a  strong  un! 
wavenng  front.     He  would  not  tell  many  lies'"  He 

Se  wouTd  kL'n":  '™"''  '^  '"^'''"^  explanations 
He  would  keep  to  one  non-committal  formula-  "T 
know  nothing  whatever  about  it  ■•  '°"""'a.     I 

'They  can't  dislodge  me  from  that,"  he  said  to 
himself  now.     "They  may  break  me  down   but  they 
139 


\'h      I: 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

can't  trap  me.  My  God,  I'm  already  thinking  Uke  a 
cnimnal!  he  exclaimed,  almost  aloud,  and  spranij  to 
his  feet  again.  ^      * 

He  planted  himself  before  the  mirror  and  began 
brushing  his  hair  with  hard,  rapid  strokes 
'.  Tf  ?^v  "/?"'  D«nster!"  he  cursed,  under  his  breath. 
If  he  hadn  t  taken  me  by  surprise,  I  shouldn't  have 

^ITt  u  ^Z  '^'l  ^''  ^  ^""^  ^^^  »•■"«  t°  reflect  a 
minute  I  shouldn't  have  denied  before  a  tableful  of 
people  that  I  knew  anything  about  Christopher  Love 
and  his  book.  I  should  have  said,  '  Yes,  I  know  him 
and  I  ve  incorporated  some  of  his  writing  with  mv 
own.'  That  would  have  taken  the  wind  out  of^U 
their  sails.  No  one  would  have  bothered  about  the 
httle  more  or  the  little  less.  They  would  have  taken 
my  word  for  it  without  investigation.  And  now  I'm 
in  tor  this. 

He  threw  the  hair-brushes  down  and  began  search- 
ing in  a  drawer  for  a  necktie.  It  was  a  proof  oTh^ 
agitation  that  he  seized  the  first  one  on  which  his 
hand  fell.  No  one  m  the  university  had  such  dis- 
crimination as  he  in  what  to  wear  around  the  neck. 
The  Lampoon  had  even  pubUshed  a  mock  interview 
tw  *r  *h^^'?*'J«<=t'  1°  it  he  was  made  to  say 
that,  as  the  necktie  is  the  only  note  of  color  in  a 
man  s  costume,  it  should  be  consistent  not  only  with 

which  he  engages  during  the  day.  Now  he  did  not 
even  look  at  what  he  was  putting  on.  It  was  a  tie  of 
a  stntang  tone  of  violet-one  that  he  wore  only  when 
away  from  official  duties  or  at  a  ball-game 

^JrjT  *°  ^^i"^  *°  '*  "°'^'"  ^^  ^«d  t°  himself,  as 

with  deft  fingers  he  fixed  the  knot  in  the  opening  of  his 

140 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


fSd'^H^'-f''';""'''-    "  That's  the  worst  of  it.  What 
i  said  admits  of  no  modification      I  .=i-4  r V  j 

«e  put  on  his  waistcoat  and  coat  with  n,» 
hasty  indifference.     He  eave  a  finT!i  t  '*'"® 

He  put  on  a  light  autumn  coat  and  went  n«f 
Once  in  the  air  he  felt  better     Tht  tt^l  '^en*  out. 

S"^;x^rri^3°---^ 

a  man  has  done  worse.  I  didn't Cj^^J^  c'^ 
topher  Love  because  I  couldn't  do  as  will  r^yse^  'i 
d^d  It  only  to  save  time  and  trouble.  TheS  was  the 
old  book,  which  I  supposed  nobody  living  hid  eler 
read,  contaimng  page  after  page  of  Just  wha^t  f  wanted 
141 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


version  of  someboSre  Lr^  '  "      °   '^ '' "^"^ 
perhaps,  should  hane  on  thTlJ^    L^  mamage 

.hJS*'  °""°'   '■"  "••■■•  »"'  oS  <„,, 

«  *  H./r.U' ,:?.i's  tvsis  it"'- 


The   Steps    of  Honor 


Md  then  it  will  be  over  it  ic  ^  , 
wd  there's  no  help  foHt  I  JL^"*  °^  *'"'  '"■*««ti°« 
it  comes  I  must  keep  mv  teZ  ",?"'*  '*  """^  ''hen 
"bier  than  all  of  thSi  ^l*  I!'^''- J  ""  «^°"K«^  and 
/or«  and  dominate  Xm-  '"".""''«'  »  nioral  /o«r  de 
He  gulpedTot  the  sU^'lff  ''^^^*'^"^" 

-brand.  it.avehir-c^-:t::aj! 

«rad?nt"t  reSt^„t'°:Tt'  ^"  *"«'  '^  ''- 
tnat  I,  Anthony  Muir   sho«M  i,      ''^'""'  incredible 

should  have  calfed  my;e  f  a  Sa^7  .'""^  *°  '*•     ^ 
man  of  honor!    I  haven't  ,^^    °    '^°"°'"-     ^  a*"  a 

^^tH  the  Pride  o7be!„gVrighr  BuTr  °""'* 
into  this  monstrous  position  «n7i  t  .  *  ^  ^«  8°t 
I  lied  once  and  noHve  °  ot  to  ^  *  ^f'°"*  °^ '*• 
fnghtful;  it's  damnable  It^s  as  if  !  h°H  f""^'  ^''' 
a  man-trap  and  were  held  f^t  bL  t^^'^  '"t" 
ster  surprised  me  into  !     •         .  ^^^ause  Paul  Dun- 

got  to  b^lfmy  ftit^e  car«r^„:^r7""'*  *™«-  I'"« 
hood.  I've  got  to^rk  oT^^  ^  **  °"'  *>'*  °^  false- 
got  to  throl  dust  °?evJ^r^"^''^  ""'■*•  ^'^^ 
Agatha's  eyes  "  everybody's   eyes -and   in 

a  vtCltrntf  ^-*  ^"^^"^  -^^  f-«  him  with 

outSwt^t:^^^^-^^  rra^f'r  "^-^-^ 
o^^S^r^strh^-^"^^^^^^^^ 

she  knew  W^hing'    She  hT'"'  '''"*  ^^^  *han  if 

^--»----=XisS:Ss?tJ:owi^ 

*43 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

No  man  is  what  the  women  who  love  him  think  he  ii 

?ha?'.T'''*'^  r""  °'  •*• »""  '* '"  «3elL  to":;;^*' 

for  nlft  s"  "T'-'""^  '"'•  ^^'y  "">  »»  th«  happier 
fornot  being  let  .nto  it.     I  sha'n't  be  a  shade  mor" 

SZt  ^^r/^y*"^/  el^e.  Agatha's  love  fo^me 
will  be  founded  on  a  trust  that  isn't  justified  but  I 
have  yet  to  see  the  wife  whose  castle'  isn't  b^h  on 
•ome  similar  bit  of  sand." 

He  comforted  himself  with  this  thought  as  he  went 
t'wtTs"evI''''HTH  *".'  C~.  -d"  nLC 

«J  ^  °^  confronting  the  amphitheatre  f^ll  of 
undergraduates,  his  heart  sank  wiih  a  new  dread 
They,  too.  had  probablj^  read  the  successive  nuS 
of  the  iVartona/  and  formed  their  owT^Sons  ^ 
he  talked  to  them  they  would  be  sitting  on  himtn 
^S^l  ''  ^^  ^'''^  ^''^  --  °"  thr  ™  ht 
"They'll  not  dare,"  he  whispered  to  himself  a,  »,» 
swung  across  the  Yard  with  long,  rapid  Sde'-T 
^n  quell  anything  that's  actualf^  facTto  f"ce  with 

A  Iw'^nflt""*.  ^f^-     '^^^  '""^^^^^  P^'^'^  °ff  quietly 
Wm    t^  .  *u  •'"'^'"*'  '*°PP«<1  afterwards  to  consult 

Xrt'r  theTn^'-     ""'l"  ""'  ^^'"""'^  "ims^f  to! 
'•ti  .1        •"*«'^'«^  ^th  Hector  Wollaston 
Ah  there  you  are!"  the  old  man  cried  as  the  <!Pr 
vant  showed  Muir  into  the  study.     "  Wy  i  Ld  . „ 

NowTsh:.r;et  'TJ"*°  ^••^  — -rdoesn-fi  ° 

h,l^^  [■  V^^*-  ^"°*''^'"  '*™''«  °f  w°rk  done  before 

ih^trcLr'""'^ '"•     ^°-'"-     Sit  down  the^eT: 

Muir  entered  and  shook  hands  with  cautious  cour- 

144 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

n!!r^  u'^'  hwrtiness  of  the  professor's  ereetin?  su, 

S.   '"""""^'  ''■"' ''' ""  ""p'  hSKi; 

he's  Sely  ^'^'u':  aT ^ "^  **'•  ^°""'°- ■• 
"It  U  =  !.„        •  "^  convenience  to  you." 

dia?ely  beTorf  tL""'"  "^'""  """^  P'^"''  ""'"^^W  '"""«- 
oiate  y  before  the  younger  man.    Muir  braced  himself 

I  ve  only  got  to  be  simple,  natural,  and  unwTer- 
bel'ting  ftt?*'  ''"*  ''  ^°"'^  "°*  "-P  >>-  heart  from 

hoiisV"  thlnrrf''"°V  ^°""^  ^"""'^  "^««d  Charter- 
nouse,    the  professor  began,  to  Muir's  surprise. 

Ac  ever  little  chap -rather  poor.  Yes  I  do 
know  him,"  he  answered  promptly^  "He's  g;ineS 
try  to  trap  me,"  he  said  to  himself;  "  but  he'llhTv!  o 
be  sharper  than  he  looks  to  do  it.  I  shaVt  be  cau^h? 
m  any  such  by-track  as  this  "  ^  * 

I4S 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


''You're  his  adviser,  I  think." 
see„^i'o?£.*.'°"«''^'--"y*°-y.Ihave„'t 

old  ;,riKre^°"-  "-^'^  '"^^  -p-^-  °^  - 

"He  hasn't  h^^i^      ■  ^^"  ^J"*"?  wrong?" 

wrong"         *  '^''^  ^'""'^  ^°"«  «-<=tly;  he  began 

ge;;s'=^r  s^^r  vr^fs?'*-"  •^"^^  ^"^- 

niore  at  ease.     He  fandeH  J,. IT  '^^«""'"'?  *»  feel 
fessor-s  motive  ^J^^l^,  -"*^-  ^-^^  P- 

man  adLltTed  '°''Thrh  °'-*  k'  ''"^'  ^"■^'"  *he  old 
foundatr ^'That'ftL''rth''oT;?^  '^"  °"  ^  ^^^ 

heard  •''m:?;":::^:^  ^s  "'"•  f '"  -  ^'^  -- 

^JHisuncle^ollaTh^^irtThrs-Jj^^^^^^^^ 
has  been  writing  to  me  about  h™      u  ,  ™'*"elphia, 

yes,    the  old  man  went  on      "wfo        ,   , 
writing  to  me.     ThevVe^-Lt  f      ?  '  """='*  ^^  ^^^ 
The  boy  is  an  orphan    'ffisla^""'^  '1°"*'  '^  ^««nis. 
the  bad,  married  in  som.l  ^-  ^^°  ^^^  «°"e  to 

is  the   ^esuT    He  Z'r^^y'^"^  this  young  elf 

school  but  the  Ster  tn  ToT^r^  ''"^^  ^^'^^"V 

him  as  a  sort  rf  S    Ch, "  ?'"^^'^°"=«  f°""d 

waif.  ^  Charterhouse  is  a  wealthy 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

an  orphanage  forThe  fir,f  f^"  "^  P"*  "■"  >"to 
he  gave  hi^  a  pk L  in  Ws  nffl  '''""'•  "^^^^  ^J^^* 
week  and  allowed  W^h^'  "'^"^  ^*  ^'^^  dollare  a 
that  he  mighWo  t?^i.t  T'T  *°  ''™^«W  «« 
imp  was  able  to  pass  hTsfn^^^^^^^^  ^^*  y^*""  ^he 

the  autumn.    JohrCharterhn/      '"*''''^  ^°"«g«  '« 

and  gave  him  five  doSar^a ZuTT  ^r*"-  °'  '''«• 
work.     Now  At  tj,.  i;    •     .      °°"^  ^°''  his  s  X  years' 

turns  oumVth?iTo?:L°h  h^l^  "^"""^  '^'-  '^ 
and  which  he  was  STOedT^hL  '""!  *°  "°""8"'' 
two  dollars  i  week  h»  *  \  x  ^  ^^''^  °"t  of  his 
What  do  you  sr;t  thatr ''  ''"^  "^^  "-^f-^tor. 

hew  hiSfe^LSth  an"^  °V'^  '"^^-  -'^  *>>- 
an  ..tounding  Ift  SfoL^^^i^i  ""^  '"^°  ^^  «^- 

to  sf^^'  It^  aU:Sr  ori  Ja^'*  ''r*^  ''"-  -hat 
good  may  come.^at  do  vo.rf."^  °'Jt^  ^^'  *hat 
professor?"  "'^^^  ^°  y°«  think  of  it  yourself, 

Z  suppose  he  does,"  Muir  admitted,  "but-" 

delif  iiS' •"""'  "'"'°"  ^'^y  ""'  ^''°-W  be  sharply 
^;^A^d  probably  didn't  realize  the  full  extent  of  his 

'47 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


to  "mm?'  *"'  ^  ^  ^^  °PPOrtunity  to  bring  it  home 
"Well,  you're  his  adviser." 

What  good  would  that  do?" 

wiZtf  A^h''*?''  '■'^  ^°y  ^°"'<1  P«t  Wfflself  right 
™"*°"^*'a^ng  recourse  to  harsher  measures." 

arJi^roSt't^'^dr-''^  "^  °''"  ^^^  ""^^  *"- 
Something  like  that,  sir." 

«fs'^s^r*!rJf  f  ^^^''^"  ^  5^°""^  «*°  has  done  wrong 
io  prsh  him'-?  ""  '°  ^^*^^^^  "^^  ^*«P^  «*•>-  than' 

'•We7now  ^^*^'.*''^°  I  '=°"ld  myself,  professor." 
Mrs.^i"a^L^  "sVe^^^nt  Vron"?i:ri^ 
enough    or  a  boy  hke  that,  and^o  wouTH     BuJ 

with  him,  and  1  U  get  the  uncle  to  consent.  He's  all 
for  havmg  him  expelled  from  college  and  sent  to  iatt 
Now  some  uncles  would  be  weak  fno^  to  W°  foj 
the  young  rascal's  future  career—" 

"■That's  a  legitimate  subject  for  reflection   sir   if 

sententiously.       I  dare  say  that  a  generation  ago-" 
In  my  time,"  the  professor  interposed,  dryly 
A  generation  ago,"  Muir  went  on,  feelikg  hiLelf 

t^^X  ™''  f  '''''  "Punishment  was'the  fct 
thought  suggested  by  crime;  but  now  with  o,,rJ^^Z 
modem  ideas,  it's  reformation.     Mo°T  pH^L^h^^oJ^t: 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

consider  the  hardened  criminal  to  be  rare  Thev  fin^ 
that  the  wisest  plan  is  to  develop  the  good  tSrTS 
be  m  the  worst  of  character,  rather  than  mereW  to 
chastise  the  evil.  The  good  becomes,  theSe  a 
counter-agent  to  the  bad.  Right-thinking  acts  on 
wrong-domg  Uke  remedies  upon  disease  " 

tLr  ,^  '  ^  '^5^'  y°"'"«  the  boy's  adviser  so 
what  would  you  suggest?"  -"v^er,  so 

'•I  should  suggest,   first  of  all,  gentle  measures 
rather  than  severe  ones.     I  should  go  to  him  1  The 

"ZZT  'f  ^'''  '^''  ""-^  I  ^h°"ld  talk  to  him  I 
should  try  to  arouse  his  conscience  and  let  tha^act 

In^^'^Atv  '*rf'  -qui-  a  little  time  bu^ 
fo^er  r  \  ,7^'.  *^'  ^°y  ^""•'^  ^«  Ws  own  be  t  re- 
fonner  I  should  am  at  having  him  go  to  the  uncle 
and  acknowledge  his  fault.  If  he  did  that  much  Ss 
.a  ural  .mpuse  would  also  be  to  make  ame^r'  S 

eS  V"f}  ^''"^^  ^^'"^^'^  ^""^  t^'^t's  the  genera 
effect  I  shou  d  try  to  work  for.     I  shouldn't  resort To 

To  do  so  at  once  would  be  to  break  the  young  fellow's 
spmtm  advance,  without  having  given  hfmTfhance  to 

ofleZf  "^^.*-  "''^^"y^*'°"S'yt''-"hemaSy 
of  men  who  go  down,  do  so  because  they  had  no  chance 

torecover  themselves  afterthe  first  step  that  slipped  '' 

to  w£S^  ^'^  ^''^"'  ^  "«^^  -^"^     He  s'eLed 

''You're  a  wonderful  man,  Muir,"  he  said  at  last 

of^h'er  'tjrt  'r'^'-  ''"^  *°''^  y°-  ^-kls  f^U 
has  «,T'ir  J?;  '^'  ^""'""^  "S"^*-     When  a  man 

h^l?^  t       ^^  '^""^  ""^y  ^'^^  ^^^  ^Sent  to  bring 
h.m  back.  IS  his  own  conscience,  if  he  has  any  left 
149 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


Well,  then,  I  leave  it  to  vou  I'll  ■o^j*.  *  ij,  «. 
terhouse  and  tell  him  to  w'*.,  **  *°  °^'^  ^^■ 
Drespn*  M  leu  mm  to  let  the  matter  rest  for  the 
present.     Meanwhile  we'll  ««>  it  +»,- .  ® 

words  an  underlying  ref^Tnr.  f^  Professor's 

that  of  Johm>y  SeSr  But  ^iT^  *''"" 
'"  WT,,""  r"^  "^•^  to%aUe"ervr''  "^■ 
"Yes   «!^r      T'*  P™8Tess  to  you  later." 

towns'  t'h^'ou^l'  S^S^^^fhT""^'' "  '''^y  --t 

idea  of  yom^    Sui     RoS:\\!^«--!'-Wy«ood 
conscience  work     Let  «  r!^     I      conscience.     Let 

wasn't  ready,  if  J  were  you^  '^*''^  ' 

•She  wouldn't  believe  me.    And  she  said  the  other 
150 


The   Steps   of  H 


onor 

"Yes   and  I've  always  been  sorry  for  it  "  the  oM 
I  proimsed  to  iharrymy  wife  that  the  engagemem 

ti'tteerit^r  ''  '^"*'     ^"*  «ft«-arshe 
woman  t  keep  it,  she  was  in  such  a  hurry  " 

"At         "^  '^^^^  ^'■°'°  overhead 

him  MrS'-'- '°"  ""^  ^°"  ^''^  ^°'    ^°°'*  ''««eve 

«T^"'  "  i*  ''^"'*  *•"**'"  *'"'  professor  explained 
^  Mmr  went  out,  "it  was  t'other  way  round  S 
IS  much  the  same  thing." 
Muir  walked  homeward  with  a  sense  of  relief 

fancy%:s"TtoliLtlf^  '^  ^^°"*  "  ^''^  ^ 

wara'::iti:;s.^  '"^  ^**^"^-'°°'"  -°*''-  •««- 

dr«f '  '■  w  ^.*"''''''"  ''".'^'^'  ^  ^"^  8l«ced  at  the  ad- 
dress. Wants  me  to  take  another  lecture  for  him  I 
suppose.  Why  thedeuce  can 'the  take  his  ownlec^rS?-' 
nf.u    r%  V  ^''''^'?P^  °P*"  ^^^  ^  impatient  jerk 

2th  twfi  '  ^''^  ^.^'  '"^'^  ^'  "=°'°'  <=^'"«  a»d  went 
witn  swiftly  succeeding  emotions.     The  letter  ran: 

rf«'h°  t^w;J*y"''~7^  ""  '■"'""te'J  *>y  the  other  men  at  our 

S^t/Jif  ^ncemmg  you.  that  have  been  appearing  in 
*eAra<.o„a/  for  the  last  few  weeks,  would  be  received  by 
them  with  mterest.  Yours  very  truly.  ^ 

"Parkbr  Stvbbs." 
Muir  stood  motionless  with  the  letter  in  his  hand, 
me  J3,t"  «i«<=«'«t«J.    "They're  going  to  turn 

»5i 


XIII 

pnde  of  the  man  who  has  alwat  bel^' 
successful,  popular,  and  soughl,^ 
In   his   own   opinion    his  personaU^ 

was  something  sacrorf        i^^nauty 

customed  to  find  himself  a  favoTe  botfin''''/"- 
and  society.     It  was  inrr^^;ui    ™""  ""t"  «n  college 
little  group  of  Sate  friln^'  *° '"'"  ""'^  *''«*  « the 
been  one  of  the  St  Sh       ?'°"«  ^'>°'»  ^e  had 
not  be  wanted  ^y  To*  ^    'T * '^^^O'^e  he  should 
members  of  his  club-  ablfw  J^       ^1°^^^  ^^  '^e 
his  estimation,  tCto  be  dT^«rT^^    a  disgrace,  in 
ily.    As  he  took  i^  the  fact  hT=       ^^  ?'"  °^  ^««- 
anger.     It  was  not  Tn   'ealJ^hT  a^'!^'**  "^'^ 
should  be  subjected  to  anTns^t     HelT^i'""^  ^"^ 

ffinrtTe^irdS^^h-"™^^^^ 

I  am  notMlre'that  Io*we°exnllT'  '*""  ='"T'"«»  »e. 
"PS I  r«.nvM.  t  .  "Anthony  MuiB 

w«,tn.oriaL"rdtt  d4:^::c" '  ^.^^^  »°-<'  ^-^ 

Way  will  make  it  imposste  for  mH^^^^  T  *""*  ^P"'"" 
b«rihip  of  the  club-table  wntinue  my  mem- 

A.  M." 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


little  restaurant  near  H^vlVd  c'L-  ^        "  '"  ' 
U  wr„  ''"I*  *°  '^"^'  *°  ^^«  another'lectte     Whe^" 

IS3 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

his  heart  smote  him  with  a  quick  pang.  She  was  too 
superb  a  creature  to  be  betrayed,  and  yet  he  must 
betray  her.  It  was  a  new  kind  of  remorse  to  him. 
Hitherto,  in  the  situation  in  which  he  had  been 
placed,  he  had  had  no  pity  but  for  himself;  now,  for 
the  first  time,  he  pitied  her. 

He  stood  at  the  end  of  the  room  farthest  from  the 
door  and  let  her  advance  towards  him.  He  did  so 
not  from  lack  of  courtesy,  but  from  delight  in  the 
picture  she  made  as  she  approached.  In  the  uncon- 
scious ease  of  her  carriage  there  was  something  in- 
dependent of  externals  — a  dignity  that  came  less 
from  grace  and  beautj^  than  from  simplicity  and 
straightforwardness  of  soul.  The  charm  she  exerted 
was  of  the  sort  to  which  outward  trappings  are  of 
little  or  no  importance.  The  large,  black  hat  with 
long,  white  plumes,  the  soft,  white  feathery  thing 
about  her  neck,  the  dress  of  chestnut-colored  velvet 
were  mere  fashionable  details  to  which  neither  An- 
thony Muir  nor  any  one  else  would  have  paid  atten- 
tion when  she  herself  came  forward  with  a  smile 
upon  her  lips.  She  stopped  at  a  little  distance  from 
him. 

"You're  very  late,"  she  said,  in  mock  reproach. 

"Ami?    It's  only  a  quarter-past  four." 

"  I  said  four.  You  ought  to  have  been  here  in  ad- 
vance of  the  hour  rather  than  after  it.  To  an  ardent 
lover  punctuality  itself  is  late." 

I've  just  come  from  one  lecture,"  he  laughed.     "I 
didn't  know  I  was  going  to  another." 

"I  have  so  ni  ,uy  things  to  do  that  I  don't  know 
where  to  begin,"  she  continued,  when  they  had  seated 
themselves  on  one  of  the  gilded  sofas.    They  sat  side 
»S4 


The  Steps   of  Honor 

by  side,  but  turning  towards  each  other.    "You  -e- 
Mr.  Muir  I  am  going  to  be  married."  "* 

Indeed?    To  whom?" 

cW  ^ t^gc^S.?^  '"^  -^  ''«'  '^  ^«»«-e  and  « 

".V^*  "•  y°"  *'""''  him  so." 
Everybody  thinks  him  so." 
Everybody?" 

"  t£  7}!^^°^^  """^^  ^'^"K  '°*°  consideration." 
_  men  there  are  some  who  don't?" 

And  these  enemies."  Muir  continued,  "what  do 
they  say  against  him?"  *  °° 

"Thev^n^'T'*  ^^  '""'*  '>°°°«ble."  she  said,  boldly 

'st^-k:i^;\-^ehi:'^:r^^^^^^    , 

And  what  do  you  think?"  he  asked. 
•      V    J!  sufficiently  shown,"  she  answered    slin 
pmg  both  her  hands  into  Ws,  "by  thrfalffW  r 
gwng  to  marry  him."  "X  the  fact  that  I  m 

;;But  if  other  people  turned  against  him?" 
I  should  stand  by  him  all  the  more  " 
Hut  if  even  you  lost  faith  in  him?" 
^^I  couldn't  lose  faith  in  him,  because  I  have  his 

iSS 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"But  if  to  discredit  his  word  there  were  brought 
proof?" 

"No  proof  would  weigh  with  me  if  his  assertion 
Were  on  the  other  side." 
I' Then  you  believe  in  him  to  the  uttermost?" 
"To  the  uttermost  and  beyond." 
They  sat  for  a  moment  with  clasped  hands,  looking 
each  other  in  the  eyes.    Then  his  gaze  fell  before  the 
truth  in  hers.     He  let  his  head  sink  for  a  second  on 
her  shoulder. 

"Oh,  Agatha,"  he  murmured,  "I'm  not  worthy  of 
a  wife  like  you." 

To  himself  he  was  saying:  "I'll  make  it  up  to  her. 
I've  got  to  betray  her  trust  this  once,  but  she  shall 
lose  nothing  by  it.  I'll  write  other  books  and  make 
her  proud  of  me.  I'll  atone  for  everything,  so  that 
she  shall  never  know  her  faith  in  me  was  built  upon 
a  lie." 

When  he  lifted  his  head  he  was  smiling.  It  had 
already  become  an  instinct  with  him  to  remember 
before  everything  else,  to  keep  on  the  mask.  She,' 
too,  smiled.  With  his  eyes  upon  her  the  weight  at 
her  heart  seemed  to  lift. 

"  I  shall  never  lose  my  faith  in  you,  Anthony,"  she 
whispered. 

He  hung  his  head  again. 

"Would  you  go  on  loving  me,"  he  asked,  in  a  con- 
fused attempt  to  justify  himself,  "if  in  the  end  you 
found  out  that  I  wasn't  worthy  of  it?" 

"That  couldn't  happen.     I  shall  never  find  it  out." 
They  sat  for  a  few  minutes  thus,  till  the  moral  dis- 
comfort grew  too  great  for  him.     He  moved  restlessly 
m  his  seat  and  released  her  hands. 
XS6 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

"Isn't  Miss  Leggett  waiting  for  us  somewhere?"  he 

SI  rSe.""-^  '^'  ^"'"^^'•^"^  ^^-  »"-- 

He  followed  her  from  the  room  with  the  same  gaze 
of  admiration  with  which  he  had  seen  her  enter 
My  1,0(1,     he  groaned,  inwardly,  "what  a  mess 

« J^*^  ''^'•^  °"*  '"*°  ^^^  •'*"  *"'i  Agatha  went  tow- 

up  the  stairs  she  turned  suddenly. 

*i,"^'*v"!^  ",°  *"*''  '"  ''''a*  they  say,  is  there  An- 
thony?" she  faltered.  «."ere,  An 

"You're  not  beginning  to  doubt  me.  dear?"  he 
questioned  back. 

"No,   Anthony.     I've  never  doubted  you      But 
give  me  your  word  just  once." 

';i  have  given  it-"  he  began  to  stammer. 
Imphcitly,  •  she  explained.  "  But  let  me  have  it 
directly.  Tell  me  just  once  tha'.  all  thSe  relem! 
blances  between  your  book  and  the  other  are  the  re- 
sult of  some  strange  chance.  I  know  they  are,  but 
I  want  to  hear  it  from  your  own  lips.  After  that  I 
promise  you  never  to  bring  the  subject  up  again. 
I  shall  never  look  at  another  number  of  that  frightful 
National,  nor  go  back  to  question  the  word  you  give 

Muir  stood  for  a  second  silently  looking  back  into 

nJllT'.w.r^'^"'*^  conscious  of  his  situation. 
He  knew  that  the  door  of  grace  had  been  opened  to 
him  agam.  He  knew  that  all  his  instincts  of  honesty 
were  urging  him  on  the  instant  to  tell  the  truth  and 
go.  Yet  when  he  spoke  it  was  only  to  say: 
157 


i  I 

i  ; 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

'-I  give  you  my  sacred  word  of  honor,  Agatha  that 
Chri  f  T^'f  '""""blances  between  my  b<H.k  and 

Shf±"  ^°"'^  '  ^°*  "°  '»°"  than^yor-        ** 

one  gave  him  her  hand  with  a  smilp      H.  k       j 

over  it  and  raised  it  to  his  lips      When  she"ur^ed  to 

contmue  her  way  up-stairs  he  Jowed  tr^but  h^ 

wis  oZn"  f:""'^  '!:*'  *•'*'  '^'^"'fi-d  °'d  home  she 
was  offering  to  make  his  was  not  worth  the  price  he 

theT  wenf  throu^r^r  "*  *•"= ''"''  °'  *"«  ^'^™  «"d 
iney  went  through  the'  rooms  together     Muir  M 

bwedfrom  chamber  to  chamber.  fryTng  to^ve  Ss" 

mind  to  the  practical  details  under  difcussi?„    but 

he  was  unable  to  do  more  than  utter  a  perfuncto^ 

yes  or  no  as  the  various  plans  were  laid  before  Wm 

As  soon  as  he  could  he  made  a  pretext  for  leaSg  a^d 

m.^!VTT  >^*'"*  P'°*«''t«d  a"d  said  X  had 
meant  to  take  him  with  her  to  Mn..  Revere's  affer 
noon  party,  but  he  insisted  on  going.     She  cam«  with 

^oTraiff^r'r  ^h7  "^'  ''°''''  parting  beheld' 

where!iX  ^lITJT^^Zt  "^  ^'--■ 

gro^n'g  Sa'rk  "xh'T "■'  'V"'  ''''''  '*  ^^  ^'^^^y 

c^uidip"iLg^;„7erTe^:^th^s;  :tri: 

b«„g  perceived.     He  followed  one  of  the  lonT  elm 

shut  out;  he  must,  therefore,  go  where  he  wn,,^/^ 

unremarked  in  the  crowd.  '**  *"* 

iS8 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


He  walked  ilowly,  his  head  erect,  his  face  9«t  .^™ 

mental  condulon  H^herto  he^  '  T„  "^'^V''  "^^ 
maintain  his  own  syn^pX^-' ■  ;.:,""•"',  '^lad 
been  able  to  excuse  himself  t>  b,  ,  J\.,,:  "^ 
He  had  admitted  that  in  borr -n,  -.  '.^i  rhn';    ^^^ 

acknowledged  that  his  pL.t,o"^  .:■  .   '"^;;  J^  •'""' 
certain  sense,  degrading'    He  h."  .:  .^t    ,.^,"„'„;"  ' 
the  reputation  of  the  Anthony  Muir    Z^  ,,,Z7ad 
mired  as  a  veritable  Bayard  of  cl       •^^"      i  ^ 
He  had  always  meant  toTaL  '  .usp   jon^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
yond  reproach.    As  he  said  of  himself  hi  hL. 

done  It.     A  year  ago  he  would  have  said  that  nothW 
so  jmp,^,ble  could  ever  happen  to  him  aS  „ow  t^af 

to;i::seSThe';it''f:itr  ''^^ti'  °'iri' 

tinl-    l^^"^  '^"^"  ^  ''°°'^  and  th^wn  tempta- 
tion in  his  way;  but  he  would  not  blam^  Wmself 
From  that  necessity  he  had  fled  away  intHnvSl 
place  that  the  trees  of  his  Eden  offer'ld  Wm  '^Sfd 
^  £  rr„'°-  •^°'"^.^'>-™-°-  that  were7ou„d 

SoSedee  of  h  r"'  ^T'^^''  *''^"  °"  '"^t'"=tive 
Knowledge  of  his  own  character.     He  knew  lumself 

*S9 


The  Steps    of  Honor 

able  to  fight  with  pluck  against  onslaughts  from  with- 
out; but  he  knew  himself,  too,  to  stand  in  deadly  fear 
of  the  tribunal  that  sat  within.  Ever  since  the  first 
accusations  had  been  made  against  him  he  had  been 
dodging  the  summons  into  that  supreme  court.  He 
had  not  admitted  to  himself  that  he  was  doing  so. 
He  had  purposely  kept  from  analyzing  his  motives 
and  from  confronting  his  moral  situation.  There  had 
been  a  kind  of  Dutch  courage  for  him  in  the  thought 
that  he  had  enemies.  He  could  face  them  when  he 
could  not  face  himself. 

"I  wasn't  meant  to  play  a  game  like  this,"  he 
mused,  bitterly,  as  he  continued  to  walk  towards 
Boston.  Bad  as  things  had  been  hitherto  he  had 
never  been  driven  into  the  outspoken  falsehood  he 
had  employed  against  Agatha  to-day.  The  decep- 
tion he  had  practised  heretofore  had  been  implicit. 
It  had  consisted  in  generalities  or  •'vasions  or  si- 
lences. If  his  conscience  attempted  afterwards  to 
call  him  to  accotmt,  he  had  been  able  to  slip  away 
from  the  charge.  But  to-day  there  was  no  way  open. 
His  action  had  been  so  direct  and  deliberate  that  he 
had  been  unable  to  escape  his  own  detec'tion.  For 
the  first  time  he  had  been  caught  and  condenmed — 
by  himself. 

With  that  talent  for  philosophical  analysis  which 
was  part  of  his  endowment,  he  was  able  to  expose 
his  situation  for  his  own  judgment.  He  could  lay 
bare  his  conduct  and  separate  motive  from  motive. 
He  could  say  how  far  he  had  acted  from  love,  how 
far  from  vanity,  and  how  far  from  moral  cowardice. 
Once  face  to  face  with  himself  his  intelligence  was 
too  keen  to  allow  further  self-deception.  His  theft 
1 60 


The  Steps    of  Honor 

from  Christopher  Love  he  passed  over  as  a  matter  of 
secondary  importance;  his  thought  centred  wholly 
on  the  position  which  his  denial  of  that  theft  had 
driven  him  to  take  up. 

"  I  wasn't  meant  to  play  a  game  like  this,"  he  said 
to  himself  again.     "I  haven't  got  the  requisities  for 
It.    It's  a  part  that  needs  a  man  without  the  moral 
sense,  and  I'm  handicapped  by  the  knowledge  that  I 
have  a  soul.     That's  the  key  to  the  whole  situation 
I  m  the  typical  man  with  a  soul— the  man  who  doesn't 
dare  carry  through  a  dishonorable  enterprise  to  a 
splendid  and  triumphant  end.     The  worid  is  full  of 
men  who  can  do  it,  but  I'm  not  one  of  them.     In  his- 
tory they  become  emperors,  and  in  private  Hfe  mill- 
ionaires.    But  I  cau't  steal  without  suffering  for  it. 
I  can't  lie  without  being  sent  off  into  a  moral  hell.     I 
suppose  I  could  say  to  my  soul  what  Lady  Macbeth 
says  to  her  husband: 

'  What  thou  wouldst  highly  that  wouldst  thou  holily, 
Wouldst  not  play  false  and  yet  wouldst  wrongly  win;' 

and  that,  obviously,  isn't  a  soul  to  tackle  such  a  busi- 
ness as  mine." 

He  came  to  a  standstill  on  one  of  the  bridges  span- 
ning the  Charies.  The  night  had  closed  in  and  all 
the  Ughts  were  lit.  The  poorer  quarters  of  the  two 
cities  faced  each  other,  and  from  one  to  the  other 
working  men  and  women  were  trudging  home  from 
work.  Tugs  were  puffing  on  the  basin  below,  while 
over  the  bridge  rumbled  long  lines  of  crowded  electric 
cars. 

"It's  a  curious  thing,"  Muir  meditated,  looking 
down  at  the  black  water,  "that  in  this  world  the 
"  i6i 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

inhro^h  ^JT^  'T*"*'  aspirations  should  have  to 
go  through  so  much  more  moral  shuffline  than  thl 
Esaus  h,  h,,,  „„„,  j^  .^  ^^^^  moSrf huffing' 
better  than  no  power  of  moral  motion  at  all?  Or  fs  t 
that  the  less  a  man  happens  to  be  lower  than  thl 
angels  the  greater  the  splash  he  makeHf  he  .^mes 

i^l  ^■■''  'V"""'  "  ^'  ^^^-^hes  a  glimpse  ^X 
Beatific  Vision  the  more  the  irony  of  life  insists  on 
making  him  unworthy  to  have  seen  it?    It  "hen 

^7TJr"Ar^ ''°"' ''''  '"°"«*  that  he  bX  :s 

the  tables  of  the  law  together,  and  it  was  after  Da^d 
had  been  crowned  in  Hefcron  that  he  fell  in  ove  S 
the  wife  of  Uriah  the  Hittite.  Well,"  he  continreT 
moving  on  again,  "that  doesn't  ex<;ise  me  S 
was  at  least  something  dramatic  in  thenTand  thrir 

s^rt  is  ifkelv  tol'"'  ^'^"'*''^  '"«^-  Nothing  of  that 
XJl  *  ^  .'"^P^"  *°  ">«•  I  shall  probably  be 
allowed  to  go  on  lying  till  the  storm  passes     The  best 

ih"e  tr  roS^',"""'  ^"^"^'^^  ^^y  Wng  me  ou 

It  was  not  much  of  a  hope,  but  it  staved  hi™  f^ 

Shl°r  *■  .  °"  '""^  streniof  H  he  Sble  to  eS 
without  much  appetite,  and  to  turn  back  towards 


XIV 


PT  was  two  thousand  dollars,"  Johnny 
T  Charterhouse  was  saying,  at   about 
I  ten  o'clock  that  night.     "I  had  the 
I  chance  to  take  it  and  I  took  it." 
I     The  boy  spoke  frankly  and  simply, 

•  .L  w  •  ■  .,^^  '*'^'  ^^y  ^y^  looking  straight 
mto  Muir  s  Muir  himself  leaned  forward  in  his  chair 
touching  the  tips  of  his  fingers  together.  The  psy- 
chological problem  presented  by  Johnny  Charter- 
house s  case  was  taking  his  mind,  for  a  few  minutes 
trom  his  own  cares.  ' 

"Didn't  you  expect  to  be  found  out?"  Muir  Ques- 
tioned. ^ 

"  Sooner  or  later,"  the  boy  admitted,  with  the  same 
franlmess  "I  calculated  the  possibilities  as  well  as 
I  could.  I  knew  they  might  catch  me  at  once,  but  at 
the  same  time  it  was  money  that  no  one  was  likely  to 
nuss  at  first.  I  thought  I  might  even  get  through 
college  before  they  detected  me,  and  I  decided  to  run 
for  that  chance.  Ot  course,  I  knew  there  was  risk- 
but  It  was  the  only  thing  I  could  do  if  I  was  to  get  an 
education  at  all.  When  you  told  me  to  come  to-night 
I  knew  the  game  was  up." 

"You've  had  a  pretty  hard  time,  haven't  you?" 
Yes,  sir." 

163 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"Your  father  died  when  you  were  young,  I  think 
you  said?" 

"When  I  was  a  baby." 

"And  your  mother?" 

"I  don't  know  when." 

"Who  brought  you  up?" 

"  My  uncle  paid  'or  my  keep  in  an  orphans'  home. 
When  I  was  too  old  to  stay  there  any  longer  he  gave 
me  a  job  in  his  office.  I  studied  for  college  in  odd 
hours  and  at  nights.  I  knew  I'd  have  to  get  an  edu- 
cation if  I  was  ever  to  do  anjrthing  in  life." 

"How  did  you  come  to  have  so  much  money  in 
your  possession?" 

"It  was  simple  enough.  I'd  had  it  for  some  time 
before  I  passed  my  finals.  Of  course  I  knew  it  wasn't 
much  use  passing  them  if  I  couldn't  go  on  and  enter 
college.  What  I  counted  on  chiefly  was  that  my  aunt 
might  leave  me  something  when  she  died.  She'd 
come  back  from  Europe  sick,  and  we  knew  she 
couldn't  get  better.  She  used  to  go  to  Europe  every 
year  to  buy  dresses  and  jewelry  for  herself  and  the 
girls.  Well,  she  died,  but  she  didn't  leave  me  any- 
thing. It  was  some  time  after  the  funeral  that  my 
uncle  sent  me  to  New  York  on  a  mysterious  errand. 
I  was  to  take  a  packet  to  the  Collector  of  Customs 
there,  deliver  it  into  his  own  hands,  and  give  no 
name.  If  my  uncle  hadn't  insisted  so  strongly  on 
the  secrecy  of  the  affair  I  shouldn't  have  been  so  sure 
of  what  was  up.  But  little  by  little  I  figured  it  out, 
with  the  help  of  hints  I  had  heard  let  drop  at  the  time 
of  my  aunt's  death." 

"You  mean  that  it  was  conscience-money?" 
"Yes.     My  aunt  had  died  a  very  religious  death. 
164 


The   Steps    of   Honor 

Towards  the  last  she'd  got  worked  up  over  having 
cheated  the  Government  the  last  few  times  she'd 
come  from  Europe.     She  reckoned  it  up  at  about 
three  thousand  dollars,  TbeUeve;  but  before  the  end 
came  Uncle  John  had  beaten  her  down  to  two     She 
made  him  promise  to  pay  it  after  she  died;  and  when 
he  gave  me  the  packet  I  had  a  pretty  good  idea  as  to 
what  It  contamed.     I  opened  it  in  New  York     The 
money  was  in  notes.     That  decided  me.     If  it  had 
been  a  check  I  couldn't  have  done  anything  with  it." 
'Of  course  not,"  Muir  murmured. 
"The  only  writing  was  in  my  aunt's  own  hand 
It  was  just,    •Restitution  to  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  for  defrauding  Customs.'    Well  "  the 
boy  continued,  monotonously,   "I  thought  it  over 
that  night  and  I  decided  that  the  Government  had 
less  need  of  the  money  than  I  had.     I  knew  by  the 
nature  of  the  errand  that  Uncle  John  wouldn't  make 
any  immediate  inquiries,  and  I  thought  he  might 
never  make  any  at  all.     I  didn't  mean  to  steal  the 
money.     I  meant  only  to  get  my  education  with  it. 
Ihen  I  intended  to  pay  it  back  to  the  United  States 
Government,  little  by  little,  and  secretly,  in  Uncle 
John's  own  way.     It  didn't  seem  to  me  to  be  stealing 
when  I  did  it." 

"And  now.?"  Muir  queried. 

"I've  put  in  a  pretty  mean  year,"  the  lad  said, 
simply.  "  I've  had  two  minds  about  coming  back  to 
college  at  all.  I've  thought  some  of  paying  over  the 
money  I  have  left— that's  about  fifteen  hundred— to 
the  Collector  of  Customs,  and  making  up  the  rest  as 
soon  as  I  could.  I've  thought  some,  too,  of  clearing 
out  to  Europe  with  it  all  and  making  a  fresh  start 
i6t 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

that  I  ought  to  get  an  education  if  I  could  " 

hp3r'''"  V '"^u™^  *'^'  ^*^  ''^"'''y-  Charterhouse," 

thint  t  .V    °M  ''^^x"'^  '"^^  *°  ''«d««  °'  t°  ^P  any- 
thing back.     M;     I  asic  why?"  ' 

"  Because  I  .aw  you  knew.  When  you  began  ask- 
mg  me  about  myself  I  could  tell  that  some  one  had 
been  givmg  you  points.  Besides,  I  never  meant  to 
deny  the  thing  if  I  was  taxed  with  it.     IvrdTne  a 

rSrtl?f  .P«  ^^°"^  ''  ^-  -'  '-t  -<^  I'- 

natS'  '°°^  "^°"  ^°'""''^  ^  ^"  ''°"***  ''°y  by 

a  wan^';L*fe"  ^'  ''°"''*  '^'"  "°*'"  *'^"  '^"^  ^^d'  ^*h 

wh'lf",!.''^""^  '"^''^  ^  "'''*^''^  ^""J  b«en  dishonest, 
what  do  you  propose  to  do?" 

*., "  ^7*^°°'^  1"PP°'''^  *''^*  ''^^t^  ^'th  me.     My  uncle  or 
in  that!"  *''  Government  will  have  the  S  s^y 

"I  think  "  said  Muir,  "I  can  assure  you  that  no 
action  .^1  be  taken  against  you.  In  thaLase  would 
you^  continue  to  use  the  money  and  remain  at  Har- 

frankly.  I  know  what  I  ought  to  do.  I  ought  to 
take  the  rest  of  the  money  back  to  Uncle  John  and 
confess  the  whole  job.  But  I'd  like  to  get  out  of" t 
by  a  simpler  way  than  that." 

"What  simpler  way?" 

"  I  don't  knowyet.  I'd  have  to  cast  about  and  see." 
i6(5 


t^'l^^W^J 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

whaJh'is?"""'''"  ^°""^  '*''^"  5^°"  '*'"«'  *"<*  t*"  «« 
The  boy  promised,  and  soon  rose  to  go  away  He 
was  so  small  and  pale  and  prematurely  careworn  tha? 
forThJL*?'  "'7  °'  'H'  ^*™"«  and  well-devTloped 
;w:to';!:or"-^'"'*  ''"^^  ''^^  -^^  --  ^a^^  a 

"  vouTfinT"'"  ^^  '^'^-  ^'  ""^  P''^'^'^  ^^^  ^'^'^  hand; 
you  II  find  me  almost  any  evening  about  nine." 

Left  alone,  Muir  found  his  own  anxieties  return  with 

fessions  of  Johnny  Charterhouse  and  gave  him  a 
troubled  n.ght.  He  dreamed  of  crime  and  disSce! 
and  If  he  woke  it  was  to  think  of  his  situation  as  even 
wore  fnghtful  than  it  was.  As  he  meditated  in  Ihe 
^rkness  it  seemed  to  him  that  daylight  would  bring 
one  only  course  with  it-to  confess  and  go 

When  he  got  up  his  ideas  were  more  sober.     The 
day  was  before  him  with  its  round  of  duties,  and  the 

^fin  the  "1"''  *°  ^°  *'^'"-  ««  «^^«  his  lectures, 
H.Z^  afternoon  spent  a  half-hour  with  Agatha 
He  made  pressure  of  work  once  more  a  pretext  for 
leaving  her,  and  hardened  himself  against  her  look  of 
gentle  reproach.  She  talked  gayly  of  the  future  but 
It  seemed  to  him  that  her  brightness  was  a  little 

nT«  h  .f  *"'''  *°  ^^^P"""*  ^^h  his  usual  frank! 
ne^s,  but  he  suspected  that  in  his  air  the  lack  of  spon- 
taneity was  as  visible  as  in  hers 

In  the  evening  Johnny  Charterhouse  came  again 
men  his  timid  knock  sounded  on  the  door  MuTi^s 

Sofrf'of  S*;^---P--hip  of  soul  with  this 


Jl 


till 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"  Well?"  Muir  queried,  when  they  had  seated  them- 
selves after  the  first  commonplace  words  of  greetine 

.  y.^  !^««°  thinking,"  Charterhouse  said,  with  the 
wistful  air  of  e-mestness  that  Muir  found  pathetic- 

I  ve  been  tmnking  that  if  they  don't  do  anythine 

Iducadon'!^^  ''""  ^^"^  *'"'  '""""^  ^"'^  «*'  ""y 

Muir  was  n  ,  prised  at  this  moral  retrogression,  but 
he  did  not  sa;  so. 

"Could  you  keep  it,"  he  asked,  "and  with  it  keep 
your  own  self-respect?" 

=„"  *^  I  <=°«ld  get  other  p^ple's  respect  I  might  man- 
age  to  do  without  my  own." 

"Do  you  think  we  can  ever  do  that.  Johnny? 
When  our  own  self-respect  is  gone,  do  you  think  we 
can  ever  win  the  esteem  of  others?" 

"I  mean,"  the  boy  explained,  "that  I  could  get 
along  without  self-respect  for  a  while.  Then  when 
Id  got  my  education  and  worked  and  saved  the 
Zu7^n'^-'^^^  '*  ^^'^  ^  "'""^'^  ^^"^  respecting  my- 

''Can  one  start  wrong  and  go  right?" 
I  think  so." 

h Jw""'*^"^*  ''  ^^  "''*  ^^P^^i^e  an  arrow  that  was 
Shrmtk°"'^°"""*  '*""  ^""'^  °"  '*^  '^^'^^  *- 

naigh^LScUt  ofTr„.*.'"  °^  ^"  ^"°'''  ^-  ^- 

This  isn't  a  question  of  theory,"  Muir  said,  shift- 

kft^n'5°""'^'."'°  ""'''  ""'  °^  experience.  The  world 

wW  *f  """ed  men  who've  thought  they  could  do 

have  triel''  '^°  ^""^  ''''^*  they'd  better  not 

l68 


M^  '*. 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"But  I  should  be  ruined  before  trying  if  I  confM.«< 
and  gave  the  money  back."  confessed 

'      ';  You'd  be  ruined  as  far  as  Harvard  and  vour  eH,. 
cation  are  concerned;  but  Harvard  isn  "  evemMnJ 

o"  thtlf  ^h  ""'*  T'^*'''"^-  Greater  tlT^iS 
ot  them  IS  the  moral  nature  of  the  stupidest  littl. 
fr^hman  who  ever  crossed  the  Charles  to  CambnS 
For  a  ma-  to  pve  his  self-respect  for  the  sake^f  keen' 
wg  his  puce  in  Harvard  or  anywhere  else  in  X 
world  ,s  to  sell  his  birthright  for  a  mes'of  pott"  e  " 

n,>.  H    "^T.^  '^r^^  ^'^^  P^«"y  "ean,"  the  boy  ad- 
mitted.    "I've  felt  mean  all  alon?     Butlfim^Lt 

Wde^bld*  "°t  t'  '"'^  ^  '^-'-  St'y'ofSld 
hide-bad  enough,  but  not  so  bad  as  if  it  were  where 

.7 Tdir.T'''  '''  \  '  ^'''  '  <=°"'<1  bearle  on: 
It  It  didn  t  turn  into  the  other." 

"It  would  turn  into  the  other     Thwa'c  „«  i,jjj 

dise^e  that  doesn't  show  itself  outwlild"?  before  on? 

When  a  man  ,s  consciously  without  self-respect  dm 

pie  soon  see.  no  matter  what  he  does  or  saysf  hat'^Ws" 

moral  hfe  is  rotten.     It's  hard  enough,  Johnny   for 

himself;  but  deliberately  to  start  wrong  is  to  strangte 
every  power  within  you  before  you've  beLn  vour 
work.  People  do  that  sometimes.^  TheylafrfC 
dation  that  in  one  way  or  another  isn't  true  They 
ry  to  build  up  fortune  or  profession  or  marriage  upo^ 

do^  irT  "^  ^T"  ''''''  ^°^^  '=  bound  to  come 
down  hke  a  house  of  cards.     If  I  were  you,  Johnny- 

tWnrb  .r"^'  •"""f  .^"^  suggestions.  "^Y^u'U  do  the 
thing  better  by  working  it  out  for  yourself  " 

the  bov  ''T  'f°"^  '"'"'"  during  which  Muir  watched 

tne  boy.     His  face  was  expressionless,  except  for  its 

169 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

wan  sincerity,  and  the  big,  way  eves  wanrJ«-~i  .k~  * 
Jer^^masif  Without  tal^nfJe^X-oJre^fsS 

at  3 ^■'1'i&"'.!  r"'^  ''*"''•"  Charterhouse  said 
hlvt^  ;    I  shouldn't  be  turned  out  into  the  cold.    Vd 

--rn^oar?r tn,  {"g^f  woL*^"*^"^^  ^'^^'^ 
Ah!    Does  she  know  all  the— the  details?" 

something  wrong  about  „^?.     *°  *^"  ''^•-  ^^^^^  ^« 
'May  I  ask  what  she  said?" 
Nothing  much.    She  cried  a  little,  and  said  if  T 

SLTa^hL"^ "'  *°  '"^ '''''  ^-  ^^^  '  -"n't  bl 

.,?  ^^^  *  person  of  means?" 

Well,  I'd  feel  pretty  mean,"  the  lad  remarked 

iiie  eating  ot  humble-pie  can't  bp  r,th<.,  *., 

mean  diet,"  Muir  said    drvlv     "tL      T  u? 

comfort  for  those  of  u^  Sve  J^toZI.T'^^' 

swallowing  the  dose  manfully''  ''  '" 

170 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

look  down  on  tne  a  good  deal  ••  ^  «P«rt  you 

towards  the  right.  ^I tU.f^'T^H'?^,' ^ZZZ 

intSThU  r«!,''°^  u"^  ^°"*  ^^'^^  ^'^"^  Wmself  back 
■°GoL/?    !rr^""  "''  '"'^'^''d  harshly. 
Good  Lord!  who  am  I  to  look  down  on  the  lad?" 
he  groaned,  almost  aloud.    "And  veTr  ^=„      -? 
moral  monkey  tricks  that  oughUo  ^k   meVw^r 
^toirT^^u    •  '  ""^  ^''^  ^'«-ly  *°  cast  thlmot: 

In  the  few  days  that  followed,  Muir  beean  to  n«. 
ceive  that  he  was  being  left  a  g^od  deal  !?o„I    ^H. 

tmnk  of  It,  he  could  see  that  it  was  long  since  there 

since  hThT/h^H  "'°°^"«'""  to  -  Wm'  it  was  long 
hu^l^  t.  ^"*  *"  'nvitation.  it  was  long  since  he 
had  even  been  greeted  in  the  usual  friendly  fchion  in 

tne  sense  of  sohtude  gave  him  greater  joy  in  Aeatha's 

ness  m  her  presence  and  made  no  more  pretexts  for 
171 


MICROCOPY   (ESOIUTION   TEST   CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


1.0    [r«i^  1^ 


^     APPLIED  \MAGB     Inc 


(?16)   *82-030O  -  Phoni 
(716)  2Ba-  5989  -  Fox 


II: 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

fleeing  from  her.     He  dined  two  or  three  times  in  sue 
cession  w,th  her  and  Miss  Leggett,  and  thTevenLgs" 

?l^    \  It  """^^  ^'^  ^"""^t  times.     He  could  get 
through  the  day  somehow,  especially  with  Agatha  L 

tnl  'w\^"'l'''  '°"^.'^°""  °^  '^^^•^--  weVe'appall! 
ing.  Wild  schemes  of  saving  himself  passed  through 
his  mmd  then,  only  to  be  dismissed  with  the  dayhght 
He  shpped  mto  a  way  of  repeating  to  himself  Johnny 
Charterhouse's  formula;  •'  I  feel  pretty  mean  I "haU 
go  on  feelmg  mean.  And  if."  he  would  add  ^ifi 
meanL  ■  '  '"''  °'  ''^  "°'"^"  '  '°^^  '  ^^all  feel  still 
For  three  days  Johnny  Charterhouse  was  absent 
from  Mu:rs  lectures.     Muir  watched  in  vZ  foJ  the 

Sde  :";"hat  ?^"  '""-"^  ^"^^  amphitheatre  and 
wonaered  what  was  happening.     On  the  fourth  dav 

tt  otZrlKs  ha'iSnf  ^n'-^  ^^ 

"•^Xeto'^.er^^t""^^^^^^^^^ 

his  chlL?"^..'  ;,7i,,,''„%-J' a  faint  color  stealing  to 

uncle."  Philadelphia  and  seen  my 

•'h^L-^'IT  ^^  ''^'"'*  ''ard  on  you?" 

"And  now?" 

I-mtling^f'f -ob^'his  JlTb'^^-''^^^  -^ 

ure  ru  att^end.   Vexpecri  11  ^"  ''  'J"'  ''^*  '^=*- 

before  long,  but  as  I  ha't^^Vblf  ^ tg:" T^tS 

i7i 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

s^"^  ''  '""^  "^y  ^-  --  seconds  without 
at  la^r'"  '°  °"  "^''^  ^™^  ^*"^--  J°h-y  ?"  he  said. 
W::?'^^-e-S.-at„i,Ms,si.iU 

-.soL:^:^j— ---^e^t 

Mu^re^tX'r "  "^'""^-  ^  -p°-  -•^en 

■'■Yes'  %°°Xl ''r  ^"''Ji^^y'  ^  tW^'k  you  said?" 
Yes,  sir      Number  24  Greenland  Park." 

land  pU     r'*  P"*  ^^^^  '^°^"-     Number  .4  Green- 
land Park.     Is  ,t  an  apartment-house  or  a  house  by 

farout,  but  the  cars  are  near"  ^''"^ 

Is  It,"  Muir  questioned,  absently    as  thm.crl,  h^ 
were  thmking  of  something  else-"  is  U-c,ean  "'   He 
brought  out  the  words  with  difficulty 
RronW  ""'''"■    E^^^ything  is  spick  and  span     Mrs 

°fll"  \n  '"'^^-''''^  ^°'"^"-  -"<!  ^°  is  Lucy  •■ 
That  s  the  daughter  who  is  studying  to  be  a  school 

^7ou:^^''    ^"'-y  '^^^  othVboarders!l  be- 
173 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

hanJ''^"'[  r"'  ■^°''"7'"  ^''"  '^''^'  holding  out  his 

hand.       I  happen  to  know  some  one  who  mav-whn 

may-want  such  a  place  as  that  '■  ""^y-^ho 

The  boy  went  away,  but  Muir  sat  still  at  his  desk 

set  With  the  ^m  i^.::.t:lz'z^:,:- 

and  papers  together,  and  took  his  hat.         ■  „   for  a 

"Good    h°°'''?/r,?''  '"^  '^«'"-  -"  -itlieitre 
breach      4™°/'^.  I'"'      ^'  murfflured.'under  his 

As  he  passed  out  he  could  almost  fancy  that  the 
ITZ^T^'  '-'''  *°  -'^^  ^^  speechTesf  tokll;: 

.1/^1,''/'  ""u"  '"  Westmorland,  Muir  worked  busily 
all  that  mght  writing  letters,  destroying  papers  and 

makmgotherpreparations,asofama^goinTo„along 

clear  Wh.n  "°^'"''^'  ^'  ^"'  '^"'"^  ^"^^  "s  mind 
fati^.d      H  '"^  '^'"^  ^^  ^^'  ^^SS^'^  but  not 

ITa^Iu-  V^^  ^^^^^  *°  S°  °°  ^«d  finish  what  he 
a  t  th?™'''^  *°  "^"^  "^^'"S  ^^fr^^hed  himself  with 
a  bath  he  went  out  for  breakfast.     Before  he  returned 

rlTr"f  *^'  ^'  ^°'^''^  S*^^  "°  l-'^tures  that  day 
Throughout  the  morning  he  worked  with  the  same 
lueZT^  ardor  as  through  the  night.  It  was  early 
fa  Z  At  r  \^^  "^""^  everything  to  his  satis- 
faction. At  three  he  dressed  himself  with  his  usual 
care,  preparatory  to  going  out.  Before  doing  so  he 
unlocked  a  desk  and  drew  therefrom  a  volume  in  old 
»74 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

dull  brown.     He  opened  it  at  the  title-page  and  read 

written'  "Andr       m^^''  ^°^"-     ^  '^'  Ay-'^af  was 

hadt.ebool.JdTH.e^3^,J7-^e-^^^ 

toJ^'Tu    '^°°'  ^'  ^^-^  *°W  that  Miss  Royal  had 
gone  w>th  her  cousin  to  call  on  Mr.  Wollaston 

said  tor»^  T  '!,""•     '  ""^y  «"=»  »>-  f-^^e,"  Muir 
said  to  himself,  and  set  out  to  cross  the  Common 


XV 


PT  isn't  as  if  there  was  any  hurry," 
I  Mrs.  WoHaston  reasoned;  "and  any- 
I  body  must  see  that  it's  wiser  to  take 
jthe  time  for  reflection  before  mar- 
iriage  rather  than  after  it." 

"  But  I  have  reflected,  dear  Mrs. 
Wollaston,"  Agatha  argued.  "I  couldn't  have  my 
mind  more  firmly  made  up  if  I  waited  another  year." 
"That's  nonsense,  my  dear,"  came  from  Cousin 
Abby  Leggett.  "  A  woman's  mind  is  like  an  actress's 
complexion.  It's  made  up  one  way  to-day  and  an- 
other way  to-morrow,  according  to  the  part  she  has  to 
play." 

"I'm  not  playing  a  part,"  Agatha  declared,  with  a 
tremble  of  indignation  in  her  tone.  "I'm  doing  only 
what  I  know  to  be  my  duty." 

She  began  to  feel  that  in  coming  to  see  Mr.  Wollas- 
ton this  afternoon  she  had  been  led  into  an  ambush. 
She  had  seen  no  reason  for  making  the  call;  it  was 
Cousin  Abby  who  had  invented  some  vague  pretext 
for  it  and  urged  her  to  come.  On  arriving  they  had 
found  not  only  the  professor  but  Mrs.  Wollaston,  who 
should  lave  been  at  her  Bee,  and  Persis,  who  rarely 
stayed  nome  in  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon 
From  the  directness  of  the  attack  on  her  Agatha  was 
sure  the  combination  of  forces  had  been  prearranged 
176 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

She  sat  on  the  sofa  beside  Persis,  but  when  she  beean 
to  suspect  a  trap  she  drew  coldly  away  from  the  touch 

littlP  ^T      w 'n ''""^'^  "P  '°  ''""  P^«=«"^  he  had  saTd 
httle      Mrs.  Wollaston  herself  led  the  movement  in 

when'  TK^T'""  "^"^y  Leggett  to  cover  her  retreat 
when   Agatha's  replies  forced   her  momentarily  to 

"Some  people  might  think."  Miss  Leggett  an- 
swered now,  "that  a  large  part  of  a  girl's  duty  layTn 
hstenmg  to  the  advice  of  her  elders '• 

"I'm  not  a  child-"  Agatha  began,  but  the  pro- 
fessor mterrupted  her.  >■  =  pro 

"If  you  were,"  he  said,  "  we  could  find  more  excuse 
for  your  rashness."  excuse 

flol'v"'^  ^'"^  '?°*  "'^■"  •^S^"'^  returned,  quickly 
flashmg  an  mdignant  look  around  on  them  all  "f 
know  what  I'm  doing  because  I  know  the  man  I'm 
gomg  to  marry." 

"Do  you.?"  Miss  Leggett  asked,  scornfully.  "Then 
fTher."^"''  ""'"  '^^  ''"''^  '^^'  ^°°^=  ■*«  °^" 

"No  woman  ever  knows  the  man  she's  going  to 
marry,"  the  professor  asserted. 

"When  she's  lived  with  him  forty  years  as  I've 
hved  with  Mr.  Wollaston-"  ^ 

"Then,"  said  the  professor,  finishing  his  wife's  sen- 
tence m  h,s  own  way,  "she's  ready  to  confess  that 
his  nature  is  a  nddle  to  which  she  never  had  the 
clew.  The  real  Anthony  Muir,"  he  continued,  ad! 
dressing  Agatha  directly,  "can't  be  to  you  other  than 
as  a  book  wntten  in  an  unknown  tongue  " 

"You're  wrong,  Mr.  Wollaston,"  Agatha  insisted 
177 


The    Steps    of  Ho»  or 

"Believe  me,  you're  very  wrong.     There's  nothine 
about  h.m  tfi-t,  I  don't  know.    He's  above  me,  I  admit 
He  has  a  greatness  of  mind  that  I  can  only  admire 
without  sharing,  but  I  know  him!" 

"Then,"  said  the  professor,  thrusting  out  his  under- 
hp.  smce  you  know  him  so  well  can  you  tell  us  to 
what  extent  he  is  indebted  for  his  book  to  that  of 
Christopher  Love?" 

"To  no  extent." 

"Are  you  sure  of  it?"  Mrs.  Wollaston  queried,  in  a 
pleadmg  tone. 

_•'  I  am  sure  of  it,"  the  girl  replied. 

"Then,"  the  old  man  went  on,  "in  what  way  do 
you  explain  the  extraordinary  coinddences  in 
thought,  language,  and  construction  between  the  two 
works? 

"I  don't  explain  them.    I  have  no  need  to  ex- 

plam  them." 

"Come,  now,  Agatha,"  he  persisted,  "you're  a  girl 
with  sense.  You  can't  deny  that  you  have  some  cu- 
nosity  in  the  matter." 

"And  you  can't  deny,"  said  Miss  Leggett,  "that 
when  the  articles  first  began  to  appear  you  were  verv 
anxious."  ^ 

&UU  ^^j  "^^^''  ^°"°"*  '"  ^^^  ^ay  you  mean.  Cousin 
Abby.  I  was  never  anxious  in  the  sense  of  doubting 
him  or  questioning  the  absolute  rectitude  of  what  he 
did.  I  was  only  anxious  lest  he  should  be  misunder- 
stood by  his  friends  and  the  public." 

"And  how  do  you  feel  on  that  point  now?"  the  old 
man  asked. 

"I  feel  pain  that  those  who  should  have  been  his 
fnends  have  not  had  the  courage  to  be  loyal  For 
178 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

Cr  ;r  tWnl  r  .T''*  ^'"""y  misrepresent  Mr 
Muir,  or  think  ill  of  him  without  reason.  When  the 
newspapers  all  over  the  country  have  been  taking  thp 

'^T:Z:Tr  '''  '""^  *°P'^°^  converTatitre'r! 
ever  peope  take  an  interest  in  either  literature  or 

deeJt""''""^°"  -"'t  «P-ct  us  not  to  feel  it  ve^ 

doiiht""  f  'ff  *  ^^  '"'2''*  ''^^^  *he  benefit  of  the 

that  ti,/-^  '  "^""u"''-  '"^"^  ^'U  ^d™t  yoi^rsel? 
that  that  is  no  irore  th?-.,  justice  " 

"Certainly  my  dear,"  the  professor  agreed,  quick- 

irofit  bv  it  Z  "  "  ""r^h  ''y  ^"  -"^^"^  i«'  Wm 
l^n        fu  ^    ?"*  y°"  ^^°''l'^  P''°fi'  by  it,  too     As 

Sdrbt^t-"^^"*^  ^°"  ^'^°"''^  — ^-  ^^^*^t 

"Oh    but  there  is  none  for  me,"  she  cried,  hotlv 

Whatever  there  may  be  for  other  people    for  in- 

there  is  only  the  fact  that  his  honor"^ is  beyond  Tu 

shadow  of  su-picion."  "cyona  au 

ft,!'®"'  i''^  °*il^'"  P^°P^^  y°"  t'-eat  so  scornfully  have 
their  rights."  Cousin  Abby  observed.  "  We  who  ale 
your  kith  and  kin-we  who've  watched  over  you  and 
brought  you  up  when  you  were  left  alone  in  the  worid 
-have  a  certain  claim  to  be  considered  I  don't 
speak  of  myself,  but  Cousin  Hector  and  Cousin  Pannv 

Tn'SilS^^lr  ^°"  '/''V'  ^°"  '^«^"- ?be"^ 

rril?^:  ^'!°P^/°body  thinks  me  ungrateful,"  Agatha 

cned,  looking  from  one  to  another,  almost  with  tea? 

179 


;  I 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"  You've  all  been  so  good  to  me.  I  feel  it  more  than 
X  could  ever  put  into  words,  and  you  must  know— you 
imist  know  from  the  way  we've  all  lived  together— 
that  your  affection  hasn't  been  wasted  on  me  But 
when  a  woman  loves  a  man— I  will  say  it— I'll  speak 
my  whole  heart  out  plainly— when  a  woman  loves  a 
man  as  I  love  Anthony— when  she  ha  submitted  her- 
self to  h,m  and  taken  him  as  her  guide-when  she 
looks  up  to  him  and  honors  him  and  almost  adores 
lum — 

"Tut,  tut,"  the  professor  muttered,  to  himself 
'My  dear,  do  you  think  it's  quite  delicate—"  Mrs 
WoUaston  began. 

"I  will  say  it,"  Agatha  interrupted,  passionately, 
her  hands  clasped  tightly  and  her  cheeks  flushed  "  I 
repeat  it— when  she  almost  adores  him— then  there 
can  be  no  question  of  whether  or  not  he's  a  stranger 
He  s  everything  to  her,  and  the  more  other  people 
fail  the  more  she  wants  to  be  everything  to  him." 

"I  admit  all  that,"  the  professor  said,  in  a  tone  of 
cairn  discussion.  "  It's  very  natural  at  a  certain  time 
ot  life,  when  the  nature  is  still  capable  of  ardent 
though  perhaps  somewhat  illogical,  impulses  Just 
let  me  nmsh,  my  dear,"  he  continued,  as  Agatha  tried 
to  speak.  "But  please  note  that  we're  not  asking 
you  to  give  up  Muir  nor  to  break  your  engagement 
nor  to  desert  him  in  his  hour  of  trial—" 
"That  I  should  never  do." 

"No,  of  course  you  wouldn't.     All  we're  begging 

of  you  is  to  put  ofif  your  wedding  till  the  whole  thing 

is  sifted  out  and  we're  sure  that  Muir's  all  right." 

_    "Oh,  Agatha,"  Persis  whispered,  creeping  nearer 

do  listen  to  them  and  put  it  off!     It  can't  do  you 

i8o 


The  Steps    of  Honor 

any  ham,  and  in  the  end  you'll  be  .    reat  deal  hap- 

"Our   wedding-day,"   said   Agatha,   firmlv    "has 
been  fixed   for  the  4th   of  Dece.nber.    TvL  one 

f  I  doubted  him.  You  ask  me  to  wait  till  hi  rTpu 
at.on  ,s  cleared  when  I  know  there  has  never  been  a 
tarn  upon  it     I  can't  afford  to  put  my  mamage  „« 

h^l'rd  he  ha°  '''  ""  °"'  ^"^^"^^  '^^*  "^"-'^^ 
tnirr  •  .  ^',?"  '"'■  ^°"''  think  that  I  want 
to  go  against  you,  Mr.  Wollaston,  or  you,  Mrs  wXs 

tw  w   T'  "^r'"  ^"'^y'  '^"'  I  can't  do  anTtng 

£^^::^t'fb^e"*^^^  ^^°^'^  ''-'"'^  ^'-^^  -y  ^^^^ 

trJZr  '^°"'V^'''  y°"  '°'  ''"'"■•"  Mrs.  Wollaston  said 
was  ttown'on"*  "^^^T/he  could  proceed  the  door 
Threshold  '^'"  "^  '^"*''°"^  ^"'''  ^*°°'^  °"  the 
The  effect  on  all  five  was  electrical.  For  an  in- 
stant  no  one  moved  or  said  a  word  of  greeting     Mu"r 

MrV  Wol    T  ''u  '^^*  ^^  ^^'  P^'«  «"d  haggard. 

Mrs.  Wollaston  was  the  first  to  recover  her  prefence 
of  mmd.     She  rose,  tripped  forward,  and  heldTut  h" 

"How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Muir.'"  she  said,  in  the  easiest 
tone  she  could  command  at  the  momen  .  "We  were 
just  speaking  of  you."  "^ 

^t^^T,^^^""^  '•'"^""y  ^""'^^'^  taking  her  h.ud 

Indeed?"  he  returned,  pravelv      "T'J^   of,  -j  •. 

must  have  been  a  painful  tS^''  '  '^    ' 

•'Well,  It  was,"  the  professor  agreed,  bluntly 

I  can  understand  that."  Muir  continued    " 


181 


continued,  "and 


mi  i! 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

I'm  afraid  I've  come  to  make  it  more  painful  still      If 

.';;?.'M*wSf.;:f' '■"■■■ '■•"■'«.'«*^»" 

He  took  a  chair  near  the  door.     The  lady  returned 

AbW  StTtT'  '«""r '  .'iancest^th  S 
AUby  LeRgett  as  she  passed.  Agatha's  eves  were 
m-eted  on  Muir.  For  the  first  minute  he  had  ignored 
her  presence  but  as  he  sat  down  almost  oppo  ft"  her 
he  looked  at  her  squarely.  He  sat  erect,  hold  ng  he 
letters  and  the  old  brown  yolume  in  his  hand   ^ 

For  what  I  have  to  say,  I'm  afraid  I  can't  preoare 
any  one  who  has  been  good  enough  to  trust  me  •'He 
spoke  quietly,  but  to  his  own  ears  his  voice  sounded 

room"    ••rf  HT''  '"  "-^  ^^P^='-*  stillnL    of Ihe 
room.       I  had  better,  therefore,  go  to  the  point  a? 

peratly"!""^'  ^°'''"'  "°*  ^'"'"  ^^^'^^  ^'°^^  >"•  d"- 

"I'm  very  well,  Agatha,"  he  returned,  in  the  same 

self-controled  manner.     "For  what  I  have  to  coT 

Sy"""  '  "'''^  ""^  "^^""^^^  °f  either  m.„d  or 

hal/ri^Jrg'  '"'  ''""  '°  """^■"  ^'^^  Leggett  said, 

•'And  I'll  go  with  you,"  Persis  cried,  her  voice 
catching  m  a  kind  of  sob. 

both^rtav''ThT-"^ri''''^«''^-  "I'd  rather  you'd 
inJ  to  tH^'  ?  '  "J?""'"^  P"^"*^  '«  ^•'at  I'm  go- 
ut! u  ..  [ ""  speaking  out  before  the  world.  This 
etter  here,"  he  went  on,  holding  up  one  of  the  enve! 
lopes,  "is  to  tl^  A'ational;  this  one  is  to  the  preswLt 

o  DetrJ  .v'"  °"'  "  *°  ^^°'«^=°^  Campbell  W 

of  Detroit ;  this  one  is  to  my  publishers.    This  book  is 

182 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

Cliristophcr  Love's  Trc.Uhc  on  the  Hinmm  Conscience 
It  was  a  presentation  copy  to  my  srin.ifather.  I  wisli 
o  say  that  from  it  I  took  the  sehe.ne,  a  h.rgc  part  of 
the  matenal.  and  some  of  the  actual  writing  of  my 
own  book,  Society  and  Conscience  "  ^ 

"But    Anthony-"  Agatha  cried,  as  if  m  protest 
agamst  his  words.  ^ 

"f^Vl't^""'"  ''^J°"''""'^J.  addressing  her  directly, 
that  I  knew  nothing  of  the  man,  or  of  anything  he 
had  written.     In  saying  that  I  lied  "  * 

_' Anthony,    you're    not    well,"    she    cried    again 
Don  t  say  such  things.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wollaston  will 
misunderstand  you." 

_'They  won't  misunderstand  me."  he  answered. 
They  ve  guessed  already  what  my  state  of  m-  d  is 
X  ve  lied  directly  to  you.  indirectly  to  them  1  bv 
implication  to  the  public,  till  I've  created  n.y  own 
chastisement.  I  think  I  can  truthfully  say,  like  Cain 
that  my  pumshment-the  pumshment.  mind  you 
that  my  own  soul  inflicts  upon  itself-is  greater  than 

iT.^T  ^'  "  "'*^'"'y  8'^^'"  t''^"  ">v  ambition, 
and  that  was  great  enough;  it's  even  greater  than  my 
ove  for  you,  Agatha,  and  that  was  at  i,rst  as  pure  a^d 
true  a  passion  as  a  man  ever  felt  for  a  woman.  If  I 
degraded  It  into  a  system  of  calculation  and  deceit  it 
was  in  the  desperate  effort  to  keep  you  at  all  costs. 
I  cant  go  on  with  that.  I  can't  beiray  you.  I'm 
base  enough;  but  my  baseness  stops  just  there,  where 

Jou'a^H^°'J/°"'"  *™'*'  ^'"'  °^"S^'l  t°  '^'"g  it  •^a'^k  to 
you  and  tell  you  it  was  misplaced  " 

.,=,Ii J^T*  T'^"'*^"'^'"  "'>'=  "lurmured,  putting  her 
hand  to  her  brow  with  a  gesture  of  perplexity.  "What 
does  he  mean,  Mr.  Wollaston.?" 
'83 


I';  :: 


The    Steps    of    Honor 

"Perhaps  I'd  better  explain  from  the  beginning?" 
Mmr  questioned,  turning  to  the  professor 

InnX^^^t'lr*^^  °^^  '"^°  murmured.     He  was  not 
loolong  at  Mmr,  nor  did  he  now  raise  his  head. 

thn.   .^  .       '.  ^J"*""  P"'""^'^'  """"e  t°  n>e  among 
those  that  my  father  inherited  from  my  grandfather 
I  remember  vaguely  hearing  from  my  moTher  that  U 
was  my  grandfather's  practice  to  buy  the  books  writ- 
ten by  his  friends,  even  though  presentation  copies 
had  been  sent  hini  by  the  authors.     He  did  so  espe- 
cial y  when  those  books  had  not  had  a  successful  sale 
In  this  way  there  were  often  in  my  grandfather's 
hbrary  two  copies  of  the  same  work     When  r^y 
rnother  came  to  Boston  to  sell  my  father's  and  grand- 
father s  books,  she  kept  for  me  one  copy  of  all  those 
of  which  there  were  dupHcates.     The  others  wen? 
where  the  chances  of  sale  sent  them     The  se^nd 
copy  of  Christopher  Love's  book  found  its  way  event 
ually  to  Paul  Dunster."  ^'^y  evem- 

'■I  myself  "  Muir  went  on.  "was  familiar  with  the 

untn  tWe  n'%'°°'  ''°'^  ''''^^''°°^'  ^-'  i*  --not 
r  WW  r^  r'  V^""  ^«°  *^^*  ^  ^^^'  '°°ked  into 
It.  When  I  did  so  I  was  struck  by  the  modem  tone 
pervading  it.  The  author  had  opened  up,  sTventy 
years  ago  some  of  those  very  trains  of  inquirv  which 
seem  to  belong  especially  to  our  own  time.  '  It  was 

foZ^l^f^^^'W^''''"''  °'  '^'^  ^e^:  ^"J  it  seemed 
to  me  that  the  book  needed  only  to  be  rewritten, 
with  an  apphcation  to  the  actual  life  of  to-dav  to 
make  it  a  real  contribution  to  literature.  I  should 
hke  to  say  that  I  had  no  intention  to  steal  from  the 
184 


The   Steps    of  Honor 


book.    My  intention  was  only  to  appropriate  its  de- 
sign  and  general  trend  of  thought,  and  to  wo  k  my 

thTn,  T"'"''  '1^  ''""^"S  °"  '°'^^^  subjects  i2 
them.  It  was  m  the  actual  writing  of  the  book  tha? 
I  incorporated  more  from  the  ori^nal  work  than  I 
intended  at  first.  I  did  it  chiefly  af  a  saving  of  labor 
In  many  passages-whole  pages  at  a  time-f  had  oniv 
I  oZ  r'''  '\P^^^'°^oSy  here  and  there.  When 
I  once  began  to  borrow  I  must  have  gone  on  without 
paymg  much  attention  to  the  amount  I  wasTaW 

book  Tnl w? ' ^"*r ^•"''^"*^ '^^^-^ '^^^0 
Dooks  than  I  was  aware  of  at  the  time  of  publication  " 

ten":'Tst'dr'"r^r'^'"'^"^°''*'^--^^^^^^ 

iZX     ,         ^"*  '°  "^Satha  began  slowly  unbutton- 

ini  t-;rL°:yti2;-'^-  ^^^  -^-^  *•>"- 

All  this,  however,"  he  bepan  nirain    ••;,  „t      , 
secondary  importance.     TheTmeT^hicri"  cS 

Love   h/n    ''.'  '°  *"'^"^  '""*^"^1  fr°'"  Christopher 
Love  than  m  denying  it  after  I  had  done  it  " 

do^Tsf  ^'  '""^  P™'^^^°^  --"'^'l.  ^tm  with  eyes 
"When  Paul  Dunster,"  Muir  went  on,  once  more 
brought  up  the  subject  at  dinner  here,  ^n  the  Sht 
when  our  engagement  was  announced,  I  was  taken 
off  my  guard.  The  book  had  brought  me  a  sort  of 
reputation  and  I  was  vain.  It  had,  a^bov^all  brough 
-brought  Agatha-and  me-together-"  ^ 

He  stammered  and  lifted  his  eyes  towards  her 
She  was  drawing  her  glove  quite  off.  It  was  the  sort 
of  action  to  stir  his  fighting  blood  and  nlrve  WmTo 

li  s^SaTer  "■  ^^^"  '"'''''  '*  --  '^  ^"  ^-^-i 
i8s 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

all" ^  n^f  t°'fl  ^^  '^'l'  '''^''*'y-     "  I  ««d'  before  you 
all.     I  hed  chiefly  out  of  vanity  and  from  the  fear  lest 

f^mme     h""\°°'  °'  ""^  P°-  laurels  pTucS 
from  me.     Havmg  begun  then  I  had  to  go  on.     I  had 

At  the  last  word  Agatha  rose.  She  was  pale  and 
her  face  had  grown  hard.  She  said  nothing  and  look- 
ed at  no  one.  She  crossed  the  room  towards  the  door 
and  Mmr  rose  also.    As  she  passed  him  she  Xew  off 

SreZ'^rr-""^  ^•'^  ''''''  ''  °-*  '"  his  dSon 
She  did  not  glance  at  him  and  he  took  the  ring  from 
her  without  a  word.  When  he  held  the  door  opeS 
her  she  acknowledged  the  'act  by  the  slightest  SmI 

closed  the  door  behind  her. 

"I  don't  believe  I  need  say  any  more,"  Muir  contin 

1hfw^*°'^'P!r''^"*'^°**^'^«^WsseataSn 

wJ^^trS^-J^n^g^.'^-^^"--.    'Mrs. 

^oiJ'J-T^^^J  ^"^^*»*°  '^y  ^^  '""<='»  ^  this-beforo 
going,  he  added  "Anything  else  you  will  imagine 
more  easily  than  I  could  tell  it,  and  it  would  onty  be 
more  painful  for  you  if  1  tried  "  ^ 

P^^,"  T/°  "J?'^  *°  *•*'"•  0"'y  Miss  Leggett  and 
Persis  looked  at  him  at  all.     There  was  a  second  or 

«ntre  sob,  t^'  '''°''^  °°'^  ^y  ^^^-  Wollaston-s 
Stht  ^'°'  ""^^  ^  ''°''  °f  leave-taking  to 
wh^ch  there  was  no  response,  Muir  took  up  the  letters 

iTf?ttrr^°'""^  •'^ ""''  '-^^"^^  ^'^  '^-"" 

beht  d'hlm!  *'^  ^*'"* ''°°'-  '^'•^  »>«  •>-d  a  %ht  step 
i86 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

"  Mr  Muir,"  Persis  whispered,  scarcely  finding  voice 
to  speak  I  want  to  shake  hands  with  you  and  tell 
you  that  I  shall  always  be  your  friend." 

"Thank  you,"  he  said,  as  he  pressed  her  hand  in 
return.       It  will  be    something  for  me  to  remem- 

Then  he  passed  out  into  the  bright  autumn  sun- 
shme^  where  aU  the  familiar  life  was  going  on  just  as 
cheerfully  as  if  he  had  not  cut  himself  oflf  from  it 
forever. 


XVI 


»HEN  Anthony  Muir  appeared  at  24 
I  Greenland  Park,  the  news  of  his  down- 
I  fall  had  preceded  him.  An  afternoon 
J  paper,  given  to  personalities,  had  told 
1  the  story  on  the  previous  day.  In 
the  evening  it  had  been  the  subject  of 
conversation  between  Mrs.  and  Miss  Brooks  and 
Johnny  Charterhouse.  It  saddened  what  would  have 
been  otherwise  a  cheerful  supper-table,  for  during  the 
day  the  boy  had  secured  a  small  place  in  an  office  in 
tlie  city  and  was  prepared  to  enjoy  himself. 

"I'd  heard  it  talked  of  while  I  was  at  Cambridge," 
he  explained  to  the  ladies,  "but  I  didn't  pay  much  at- 
tention to  it.  Well,  it  doesn't  prevent  him  from  be- 
ing the  best  man  in  the  world,"  he  added,  loyally. 

"I  don't  see  how  that  can  be,"  Lucy  Brooks  ob- 
jected. "He's  cheated  some  people  and  deceived 
others.     He  as  much  as  says  so  himself." 

She  was  a  pretty  girl,  of  that  delicate  type  of  pretti- 
ness  characteristic  of  the  latest  feminine  evolutions 
of  the  old  Yankee  heritage.  From  the  days  of  the 
seventeenth-century  immigrations  her  ancestors  had 
been  village  people  in  the  agricultural  regions  that 
depend  on  and  support  Boston.  They  had  respected 
themselves,  perhaps  not  unduly,  as  being  the  equals 
of  the  best,  and  so  they  had  bequeathed  to  Lucy 
188 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

Brooks  a  poise  of  the  head  in  which  independence 
rivalled  grace.  Her  fair  hair  rolled  splendidly  awa' 
from  the  whitest  of  brows  and  set  her  small  sm^Hn^ 
features  m  a  frame  like  a  picture  "  Reallv  th^/  f 
might  be  anybody."  her  mother's  gentee  'custom^ 
«>mes  said  of  her,  and  it  was  trSe.    Lucy  BroT 

£s  and  her  7"'  '^^  '''""'^  ^'''''  ^er  tfpering 
»1    r/      her  Amencan  air  of  being  ready  for  what- 

fromit'"'^'',^^""^  ^""''^  have  been  ^anyTnT- 
wr™^;f i*°  ^?f^^"■    A^  ^ '"-"-  °f  fact,  she 
cT^M    ?       -^  ^^'^^^^^  *°  ^^"""^  school-not  from   rre 
s  stable  dra^ng  to  the  task,  but  from  a  practTcTl  dea 
hat  ,t  would  be  an  agreeable  way  of  easing  a  S 
In  the  intervak  of  study  she  he:ped  her  mother  ^"h 

h    3  of  her'  '°"""°^'  ^""^^  -^withstlnS 
^„1  ^^     ,    ^'  occupations,  she  found  time  to  ac- 

called^'^tr  tr^^'  f "^"''°-  ^--  t-^o-  "hoL  she 
success  L  nLT        ^*  ^.^'  *°  ^'  ^^^«"«d  that  her 

=e  "«o-S  oTr  rd"loot1  a-^  ^  ^^ 

£rprfi-^----iS 

E3~^^-Sn?— -^ 

Deautysshould  never  have  been  asked  to  vex  itself 

^<^ho;i!:^rr-t^sS 

thaf  :L  ;5"lT"'1:  ".^°y^"  °f  ^^^  acquainlct 
tnat  she  had  had  no  hesitation  in  accepting  his  aid 
and  sometimes  letting  him  work  with  her  in  the  even 
>ng.     Now.  because  he  had  left  Harvard,  and  was 
189 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

under  a  cloud,  she  was  slightly  scornful  of  him;  and 
since  he  had  come  to  the  house  to  live  she  had  studied 
m  her  room  alone. 

c  •"■"  ^fu  f^""^^^  P^°P'^'  '°  ''*^«  I'"  Charterhouse 
said,  with  characteristic  simplicity;  "but  I  hope  it's 
in  me  to  pick  up  again." 

"I'd  like  to  know  why  it  ain't,"  Mrs.  Brooks  ex- 
claimed, warmly.  "If  every  one  who  ever  fell  was 
lamed  for  hfe  there'd  be  a  terrible  sight  of  people  go- 
ing on  crutches."  r    r     e 

Mrs.  Brooks  was  Lucy  with  the  difference  of  twen+y 
years  dispanty  in  age  and  greater  sturdiness  of  mould 
She  had  grown  up  ia  the  country  and  had  married 
there.  When  her  husband  came  to  seek  his  fortune  in 
Boston-as  a  clerk  in  the  city-she  had  followed  him; 
but  she  had  never  lost  hei  simple  village  ways  and 
forms  of  speech.  Rather  tall,  slightly  angular,  with 
shrewd,  gray  eyes  looking  from  a  sweet,  strongly  set 
face,  she  was  the  type  of  the  Yankee  woman  of  the 
elder  generation— capable,  kindly,  ready  to  turn  her 
hand  to  any  task  and  shrinking  from  no  reasonable 
burden.  Her  voice  had  the  nasal  quality  inherited 
from  an  old-time  Puritan  stock,  and  in  her  inflections 
there  were  those  long-drawn,  "down-east"  cadences 
that  are  at  once  plaintive  and  emphatic. 

"Still,"  said  Lucy,  in  rather  cruel  response  to  her 
mother's  words,  "it's  nice  to  b  able  to  keep  on  one's 
feet. 

"It's  nicer,"  Mrs.  Brooks  rejoined,  "to  help  folks 
that  are  down  to  scramble  up  again." 

"And  it's  nicest  of  all,"  added  Johnny  Charter- 
house,    to  find  people  who  don't  want  to  jump  on 
you  because  you've  tumbled." 
190 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

satisfied  with  passing  them  by  ■'  ^""^^^^^ 

Broil'^siSeS'  '"'  *'^  ^•'^'*'> '"  *'«'  Bible."  M«. 

i^ucy  Brooks,  you  hadn't  ought  to  talk  like  thnt 

tufed^t^Hn  Sfr-''---;;  M-  BrtkstpS 
^^med.  later  an  the  even.ng;  "you'll  make  him  feel 

the  fntiLr:?  yCrir/pSi^-^r ''■  ^^'^ 

wants  to  take  me  on  my  wo'^sr' can    ^  "' 
r^nfl        1°""''  '""'^"  ^''^n  the  rest  of  us  "  the 

tTetr'' rc"oir/'rt '-  -wingru;: 

our  bfst  or  wrrk^preSnomlfy^ W  ^^ "^^  ^ 
Lucy   went   to    her    studies,    and   Mrs     Brooks 
191 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

stitched  in  silence.  As  she  did  so  her  mind  dwelt 
much  on  Muir,  partly  because  of  the  help  he  had 
given  Johnny  Charterhouse  and  partly  because  of  the 
haunting  effect  of  the  word  RUIN!  in  large  letters, 
that  had  formed  the  head-Une  to  his  story  in  the 
afternoon  paper.  She  knew  but  vaguely  what  his 
ruin  was,  but  it  seemed  to  her  tragic  that  a  handsome, 
wise  young  man,  such  as  Johnny  Charterhouse  re- 
ported him  to  be,  should  come  to  such  misfortune. 
It  was  natural  to  her  to  dwell  more  on  his  suffering 
than  on  his  sin,  and  as  she  stitched  she  sighed  softly. 
Before  she  went  to  bed  she  prayed  for  him,  and  she 
did  the  same  next  morning.  When  Johnny  Charter- 
house had  gone  to  work,  and  Lucy  to  her  school,  the 
shadow  of  the  ruined  'man  seemed  to  follow  Mrs. 
Brooks  about  the  house  and  to  lean  over  her  as  she 
bent  above  the  cutting-board. 

"I  vow,"  she  exclaimed  to  herself,  at  last,  "I 
couldn't  feel  worse  if  I'd  known  him." 

She  was  sewing  by  the  parlor  window  in  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  when  she  oaw  a  tall,  fair  man  stop 
before  the  gate  and  look  long  at  the  house.  He  was 
like  a  Viking,  but  a  Viking  crucified.  Mrs.  Brooks 
knew  by  instinct  who  he  was. 

"Step  in,  sir,"  she  faltered,  when  he  had  knocked. 
Muir  entered  slowly  and  followed  her  into  the  par- 
lor. '^ 

"Mr.  Charterhouse  isn't  in,"  she  explained,  for  the 
sake  of  saying  something,  when  they  had  sat  down. 
"You'll  be  glad  to  hear  that  he's  got  work.  He's  a 
very  up-and-coming  young  man  and  ought  to  do 
well." 

"That's  good,"  Muir  said,  dully.     "But  I  didn't 
192 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


My  name  is 


come  to  see  him.    I  came  to  see  you 
Muir— Anthony  Muir  " 

JJtl'^oT^  '  '°""  *^"  "••^  ^°"  --"^  *''''  "^n- 
fi  !i.^''".'".i8ood  deal  of  trouble-"  Muir  beean 
findmg  .t  d,fficult  to  tell  the  story  over  again.  ^  ' 
I  know  all  that,"  she  interrupted,  hastening  to 
spare  h.m  further  explanations.  To  hersef  she  wl^ 
saymg,  "Perhaps  the  Lord  has  sent  him  to  me  to  h^^ 
h.m-as  He  sent  Elijah  to  the  widow  woman  of 

"And  I  thought,"  Muir  went  on,  "that  as  you  had 

a^X  f::il°„^''-erhouse-pe.haps-if  'yZ  hM 

'Tve  a  beautiful  room,  sir— the  front  chamber— 

br rcha^^Lt^ .'°-  -'  -'^y  -  *^"«- 

rized  "T.*"  *.*';^"^  '*  '"  ^  ^^'  *Ws."  she  aTol.^ 
pzed.  It  hasn't  been  lived  in  this  long  spell  back 
I  m  sure  you'll  be  pleased  with  it,  and  fhat  "  could 
make  you  comfortable."  ° 

w«?tnl"*t'^"f  ^^^  ^'"'''^■  respectable  room  which 
was  to  be  his  future  home,  Muir  looked  about  him  in  a 

whert  hTmind  "V  "  '^  ""^  ^^'^^  -to  '"^^rid 
Where  his  mind  could  not  work.     Mrs.  Brooks's  nlain 

knrnTat"aS°"^  --''''  '^'^  '^^  ^'^^  °^  -  - 

n„'l"j°"^?^"V*  *°°  ^^^^•"  ^he  ventured,  timidly 

rdonfrst?"^^  ^°^  '^'^''°^-  "-  -^^^^-y 

The  detail  brought  him  back  to  himself 

193 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

^Z°^  "k  "  '"?*'?■  'I'^'^^y-    "It  ""'t  too  dear.    If 
you^canbe  ready  for  me  I'll  come  to-morrow  after- 

r^«!it°  '*°;  ^^-  "T'"  "'"'  "8'^<1-  "I'»  be  quite 
ready,  and  more  pleased  than  I  can  say  to  have 

isSrsf^n^^'  ''^^"°  """^  *'^"8  that  afternoon. 
Mmr  s  footsteps  had  scarcely  ceased  to  sound  on  the 
bnck  pavement  of  Greenland  Park  before  the  two 
TaS  brj  '^«  .^'-Vh^-ber  were  wide  open  and  sl^ 
Had  begun  taking  the  carpet  up.  The  fathpr  nf  th- 
prodigal  m  not  kill  the  faUed  c^alf  more  eagerly  thl 

day  She  went  about  the  house  gleaning  the  best 
furniture  from  all  the'  rooms-the  pretty  toHet  set 
from  Lucys  the  muslin  curtains  from  he^r  ow  'and 
Br^t?""  't'r'^°^  <l"ilt  fro"'  Charterhouse's.    Mrs 

a^dr^r  ^  ^T'T  ^^'^  ^^^P-  'n°«nful.  blue  eyes 
and  a  sweepmg,  blond  mustache,  she  was  too  much  of 

moZT  "°fl  *°  '"f  '^^'  ■*  ""^  ^  =^«  «  ^bich  re- 
mote was  flavored  with  romance.  As  a  Harvard 
professor  he  brought  added  dramatic  contrasts  to  the 
situation,  just  as  a  fallen  angel  must  always  reflect 
which  he  fen  ^"^  °'  *'*'  «'°^  °'  ''''  ''"Shts  from 
It  was,  nevertheless,  with  some  misgiving  that  Mrs 
Brooks  confessed  to  Lucy,  on  her  return,  the  dofnjs 

"w!^,-.f.'"'°°1;  "^""'  '"^•"  *''«  gi^l  protested, 
we  might  as  well  set  up  a  home  for  lost  dogs  at  once 

surf  thrh  *'"*  r'^'  ''^^P'"^  ^  ^^f°"»  -'°°'     "« 
^ethp.  •'     n^!  r".'.*'^  ^^^y  ^^""^  th«  bouse  alto- 
gether.      But  she  did  not  object  to  the  appropriation 
194 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


to  feT  Srj'^ores'?"-  ''°"'"  --  '•'--  --«•> 

„„!!!.""■  IT''*''  '°'"'''^''  ''"'''  °"  the  following  After- 
Thad  H?  r'!f  "^  *'"•  ^^°°'''' '"  'he  absent  manner 
r.^^  t.  "  ^^"'^  yesterday,  and  went  straight  Z 
S     t^^  "  "^"appointment  to  Mrs.  Broods   on 

ments  effected  or  express  his  pleasure  in  the  good 
taste  w,th  which  they  had  been  made.     He  waited 

trKuirtr^-'---'--'--l 

proJt'brth."°*,''"°'''  «°°^  ''°"''  "'"*  '"  <=°'"ing  to 
to  bestow  tw°r  ^"^  '°'"^°^  ^he  was  so  re!dy 

hnn  was  Uke  th^t'o^n  th^cVraf  ^en'.X  the"  e°x" 
citement  of  the  trial  and  the  journey  to  prison  hJ 
reaches  the  emptiness  and  silence  ofthe  ce"l     bSe 

'^yZ^:  r  .r°""''"«^  brought  hLMo  S^i 

h.^K^  sensitive  to  extemals-the  change  that 

Sad  ^oil^dT'^-'M'^"  '"^^  ""«  *°  ^-t  or  sS;  He 
S«ure  Hrr  l^  1  *^'  preparations  for  his  de- 
parture.    He  was  breaking  his  bridges  behind  him 

Stn  .  •"  "^^'',  *°  ^^  Sone.  But  while  the  w™k 
lasted  It  was  work.     He  was  in  his  old  surroundings 

wL  t^e  bu.?  L  "'"  "^'^^  'y'"''°'=  to  him  now,  it 
7^^  u  ^^^^^  '^  "^^^'^  q"ite  death  as  long  as  the 
form  we  have  loved  has  not  yet  been  put  away^   mS 

»9S 


i 


The    Step!    of  Honor 

could  rtill  look  out  of  his  windows  and  we  the  famiUar 
life  "-mg  on.  He  could  hear  the  voicet  of  .tu'lenu 
goi..^  ,  and  fro  in  the  hall  and  th^  tramp  of  their  feet 
In  sp,te  of  what  had  happened  he  was  still  at  Harvard. 
■  where  his  hfc  since  childhood  had  been  passed  and 
all  his  interests  were  centred.  Here  and  there  he  had 
glimpses  of  the  red  brick  walls  behind  the  elms,  and 
not  far  away  was  the  stately  eighteenth-century  roof 
beneath  which,  as  he  suspected,  Agatha  Royal  was 
eating  out  her  heart.  He  had  suffered  more  than 
he  knew  that  it  was  possible  to  suffer  out  of  hell: 
bu  at  least  he  had  suffered  there,  amid  the  mate- 
rial conditions  he  knew,  and  with  the  externals 
of Jhe  hfe  he  had  liv.^  hitherto  lying  all  about 

And  now  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  had  suddenly 

tT^S'^'T  U'l"^-    E^^^W^K  was  different 
In  Greenland  Park  he  could  not  have  felt  farther 
away  from  Harvard  if  he  haj  put  out  to  sea.    In 
M«.  Brooks  s  modest,  clean  front  chamber  it  was  not 
the   uxury  of  Westmorland  Hall  that  he  missed,  it 
was  that  sense  of  work  to  be  done  which  had  given  him 
Lr*"''?^       ''"''*«"'=«•     It  ^as  as  if  everything  had 
gone.     There  was  nothing  to  think  about,  nothing  to 
th»n  ^}'"\^'^  1°  «<«<«  f^r  his  being  here  more 
than  elsewhere;  thert  was  no  reason  for  goin?  else- 
where rather  than  for  staying  here.     He  had  noi  even 
the  pressing  sense  of  being  obliged  to  work  for  a  liv- 
ing, for,  after  paying  back  to  his  publishers  as  much 
money  as  the  book  had  brought  him,  he  had  still  a 
few  hundreds  of  dollars  a  year  to  stand  between  him 
and  want.     He  had  no  employment,  no  friends,  -o 
future,  no  honor  left.     He  had  reached  the  negation 
196 


The  Steps    of  Honor 

Wnf^r*'''^'  ","  "•"•''  °"'y  '«  "«Pi<"y.  letting 
hIT  "Tn  i"V°  ''""'^y  •"'»  numbnew.  while  Z 
darkness  filled  the  little  room,  and  Mrs.  Brooks  stood 

oTai'  "£'M''  '°°'-  r'«""«  whether"X  da^ 
lo  take  him  m  a  cup  of  tea. 


XVII 

?UIR  refused  Mrs.  Brooks's  cup  of  tea 
K  as  he  refused  all  her  well-meant  atten- 
Itions  the  next  day  and  the  next  and 
/  the  next.  In  the  recesses  of  despair 
finto  which  he  had  withdrawn  he  was 

A,  f 7       '"accessible  to  small  acts  of  sympathy 

As  far  as  he  was  able,  he  shut  himself  up  in  darkness 
and  sohtude.  shrinking  from  the  appr^'ach  of  anj 
thmg  human  as  from  that  which  hurt  him  most     In 

heLr''/"^'  *'^™*''''"«  ^^"^  *••«  bea™  of  kind? 
hearts,  and  eager  in  the  pursuit  of  healthy  interest, 
there  was  no  place  for  him.  A  man  without  hono; 
fe°iw">°*  '^^ flt'^^Vhan  an  outcast  from  the  round  ^f 
fellowship.  Mmr  knew  it  and  did  not  complain.  He 
no  Iciger  upbraided  fate  nor  took  the  trouble  to  call 

ment  that  had  qyertaken  him,  and  only  sank  under  it 
into  speechless,  emotionless  apathy 

If  he  had  any  active  desire  it  was  for  closer  secrecy 
and  deeper  seclusion.     He  thought,  at  times,  of  seek"^ 

sl!n]     J"""'  little-known  West  Indian  or  Pacific 

each  him  V°.r"\'  'T  ''''  °"'='<^«  ^-^  woul^ 
in  ttl  r;-   ^^.^!''"'Sht  of  a  monastery  he  had  visited 

He  5ho„±"  Yll'  "'"'  ■''  '^""''^  ^"-^  Wmself  alive. 

?ari,  wh^      ^     the  teeming  quarters   of  London  or 

Pans  where  he  could  be  lost  to  ken.     He  thought  of 

198 


The   Steps   of   Honor 

death  more  than  of  anything  else.  Not  to  have  to  eat 
and  sleep,  Not  to  have  to  wake  into  his  empS 
world  and  to  take  up  again  his  useless  existTnce^ 
Not  to  be  stretching  out  aching  arms  to  the  shadow 
of  a  woman  who  could  never  think  of  him  but °n 

be°rid  J:l  *°  It  1°  ''"°"  ^'"^^'f  ^  himselft  o 
be  nd  of  the  mtolerable  burden  of  his  own  identity" 
These  possibihties  lured  him;  but  again  he  shrank 
from  sizing  them  with  the  hesitation  of  a  man  who 
behaves  he  has  a  soul. 

do'if  ^Rit"r*K  v''''' *''^*'"  ^^  '"^^  *°  Wmself,  "I'd 
do  It.     But  I  believe  it  and  I  can't  " 

So  he  stayed  on  in  the  peaceful  suburban  propriety 
of  Greenland  Park-where   neat  wooden  cottages 
fTZr^''^^'''  '^'  ^^  neighborly,  and  the  boys 
and  girls  sported  gayly  in  the  evenings.     Never  wL 
there  a   more   commonplace  background  to  an  im- 
mense spmtual  desolation.     To  Muir's  intellectual 
fastidiousness  it  was  part  of  the  irony  -  Ws  To      "„ 
stead  of  the  rock  of  Prometheus,  with  the  earfes  eat-' 
.ng  out  his  heart,  he  had  Mrs.  Brooks's  c!ean  front 
chamber  with  its  innocence  of  everything  poetic,  pen 
.tential.   or   picturesque.     But   it   did   not    matter 
Nothing  mattered.     It  makes  no  difference  to  the 
drowned  man  what  sort  of  shore  hangs  above  the 
waves  where  he  is  tossing. 

And  it  was  as  a  drowned  man  that  Muir  looked 
upon  h,„,sel  .     He  could  not  have  been  more  sudden 

f  he  I'hT  '*'.'^  '"*  °'^  ''""^  '""^  ^°^W  he  had  known 
If  he  had  leaped  from  a  cliff  and  disappeared.  When 
his  confession  had  become  public,  silence  had  settled 
round  about  him.  From  the  people  among  whom  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  had  been  spent  there  hid  come  no 
199 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

word  of  reproach  or  blame-there  had  come  no  word 
at  all.  In  the  two  or  three  brief  interviews  he  had  been 
obliged  to  hold  with  men  in  official  positions  in  the 

TtSj/^w  ^t^'™  °"'y  '^'  '*=°'^<=  acceptance 
of  the  fact  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  but  go.     There 
had  been  neither  condemnation  of  his  crime  nor  com- 
miseration for  his  downfall.    There  had  been  a  studi- 
ous absence  of  comment  and  an  obvious  implication 
that  the  sooner  he  effaced  himself  the  less  painful  it 
would  be  for  all  concerned.     So  he  went  in  silence. 
Uunng  the  days  in  which  he  worked  at  his  prepara- 
tions he  thought  it  possible  that  Fisher  or  Glynn  or 
Parker  Stubbs  might  come  to  send  him  off  with  one 
pressure  of  the  hand  in  memory  of  the  days  they  had 
spent  together,  but  no  one  appeared.    So  be  it     It 
was  less  embarrassing  for  him  and  them.    When  he 
received  from  Agatha  Royal  the  packet  containing 
the  presents  he  had  given  her  he  searched  it  through 
and  through  in  the  hope  of  finding  even  a  bitter  or 
disdainful  word;  but  there  was  nothing-nothing  but 
the  address,  and  that  written  by  another  hand.     So 
oe  It.     It  was  easier  for  himself  and  her.    When  he 
went  down  the  stairs  of  Westmorland  Hall  he  knew 
that  every  human  tie  of  his  was  broken,  that  every 
relation  of  fnendship  or  love  he  had  ever  known  was 
tJ^^l-  ^''"*'  "consciously  leaving  everything 

behind  him,  out  into  a  world  where,  if  he  began  at  all 
it  must  be  m  every  sense  from  the  very  beginning 
again.  In  prison  the  criminal  has  some  one  to  come 
now  and  then  to  ask  for  him  in  the  parior;  but  An- 
thony Muir  was  aware  that  in  his  dishonor  he  would 
be  left  gently,  though  rigorously,  alone. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  Mrs.  Brooks's 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

tender  solicitations  made  no  appeal  to  hin,     t    u- 
place  of  torment  he  was  beyonTthe  toucJ '^'th.      " 
human  hand  brineine  a  cun  nf  +<.!  *"®  P"** 

for  his  bed.     Thit  mlX^f    f  5^^^''*'"^'''^"ket 

stricken  or  theL'nIeStTelth  S  nt'th"  ^''^ 
who  is  hiding  under  a  cloL  nf    ',,  '.*''^'"*« 

Muir  waved  al!  mattluttntoni  asirLmT°"^ 
not  so  much  of  their  ,•„=;„„;<;  '    ""^  ^  sense 

ness  to  his  stl  e     X^ft'was  ^  °' '"'"  ""'^"'"S" 

drink  he  took  .ong  walks   LrtL  wT'^  *°  "^*  °^ 

the  city,  where  it  feem  5  totm  Iffor^r V' 

.ng,  he  had  the  shelter  of  a  forXn  laL      H         '  ^'■ 

as  little  as  possible  before  dusffd  htr.^'"'!-    °?* 

in  time  to  fling  himself  o^Ss  bed  fe  th^  ^   °"'^ 

the  few  book^he  h^dT:u"5h \im t  t''"'^ 
away  in  revulsion.     Books  wouirbe  h^  ^  ^"'^'^ 

had  nothing  but  his  intellect  to  offer  to  the  worM 

"I  must  start  all  over  again  at  something  else  "  h« 
would  say  to  himself,  when  his  mind  awoke  fof.'  f 
nnnutes  from  its  paralyzing  iTthar^     "R°.\''' 
and  where  and  at  what'"      ^  '^"'^'^^y.       But  how 

A  week  passed,  and  to  these  questions  he  had  found 

201 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

no  answer.  And  yet  the  natural  impulses  of  energy 
and  strength  were  beginning  to  assert  themselves. 
With  the  adaptability  of  youth  he  was  growing  ac- 
customed to  his  fallen  condition.  There  were  mo- 
ments when  it  almost  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  had 
never  known  any  other.  The  seven  days  that  sep- 
arated him  from  his  life  at  Harvard  might  have  been 
seven  years.  It  was  not  that  he  suffered  less,  but  he 
suffered  with  some  consciousness  of  what  was  im- 
mediately around  him.  He  became  aware  of  Mrs. 
Brooks's  small,  assiduous  kindnesses,  and  one  day,  in 
going  out,  he  stopped  to  thank  her. 

It  was  not  much,  but  it  pleased  her,  and  she  re- 
ported it  to  Lucy  in  the, evening. 

"Ma,  you  make  me  tired,"  the  girl  responded, 
scornfully.  "I  wouldn't  stand  that  man's  airs  an- 
other day  if  I  were  in  your  place.  Here  you've  been 
doing  for  him  and  doing  for  him  for  a  week  past,  and 
he  scarcely  notices  that  you're  alive.  I  haven't  even 
set  eyes  on  him,  and  neither  has  Mr.  Charterhouse. 
It  makes  me  uneasy  to  have  such  a  mysterious  creat- 
ure in  the  house." 

"I  feel  to  do  it,  Lucy,"  Mrs.  Brooks  insisted,  plain- 
tively. "  I  can't  help  beUeving  the  Lord  has  directed 
his  steps  to  us  to  some  good  end." 

"I  should  like  to  know  what  it  is,  then,"  Lucy  de- 
manded. "  There  hasn't  been  a  boy,  nor  the  shadow 
of  a  boy,  come  near  the  house  since  he  arrived." 

"  I  know  it's  hard  on  you,  child ;  but  I'm  sure  you're 
willing  to  give  up  a  little  pleasure  if  there  is  a  chance 
to  do  him  good." 

"  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind  about  that,"  the  girl 
flung  back,  as  she  flaunted  off  to  her  studies. 

302 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

That  evening  Muir  came  home  early.  The  ni.rl,f 
was  wet  and  windy.  On  leaving  the  queer  forS 
eatmg-house  where  he  had  dined  he  tramped  X^ 
m^TV"'"','  *^'"^  *°  ^^*'g"«  W««elf  into  the 

TJ^^  ^^^  ^^^^'^  physical  discomfort  of  wind 

and  ram  were  too  much  for  him.     For  the  ii.^t  ZT. 
he  thought,  with  a  faint  gleam  of  p  eSre    of  the 

lamp,  tne  arm-chair  drawn  ud  hp^irlo  ;t   o^j  u- 

on  the  table.     There  was  noli'ngfo  d  'X"rw^: 

side.'  ''''  '*  ''^''  "  ^^'"^^  ^^""^  *»>«  =t°™  o^t! 

do^i/^n"''^"  he  returned  he  was  sorry  to  have 
done  It.  Once  established  with  his  slippers  and  his 
pipe  the  vacancy  of  the  long  hours  before  he  could 
sleep  appalled  him.  He  tried  to  read,  but  threw  the 
book  from  him  without  having  found  he  place  ffis 
mind  was  more  than  usually  awake,  and  his  thougS 
went  back  to  all  the  pleasant  occupations  of  which  he 

lallen.  In  the  blue  nngs  of  smoke  that  curled  ud- 
ward  m  o  the  shadows  he  seemed  to  see  Agatha 
Roya  s  face,  with  its  faithful  smile  of  welcom? 

hiJJ(^°  T  '^  ^  *'*'"''  ^^'^^  *''^t-"  ^^  cried  to 
himself,  and  sprang  to  his  feet  with  the  desperate 
determmation  to  go  out  again.  As  he  did  so  a  ti^d 
knock  sounded  on  the  door. 

Ai^^r^  I"'"  '?\'=^"^d,  impatiently,  expecting  to  see 
f^e'Ihmir  "*'  °"^  "'  ""''  "''~  ^°™-^  - 

houst  '*  ^^'  "°*  '^"-  ^'°°^'' ''  ^^'  J°'>''  "  Charter- 
ao3 


(ft 


'''      )■ 


ii 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

"  I  thought,  sir,"  the  boy  faltered,  overwhelmed  by 
his  own  boldness,  "that  if  you  hadn't  seen  the  even- 
ing papers  you  might  like  to  look  at  these." 

He  thrust  the  papers  hastily  on  the  nearest  chair 
and,  oefore  Muir  had  time  to  thank  him,  disappeared. 
Muir  stood  for  a  minute  slightly  bewildered. 
Though  they  occupied  adjoining  rooms,  he  had  almost 
forgotten  the  lad's  existence.  He  had  not  shrunk 
from  seeing  him;  he  had  too  little  pride  left  for  that. 
He  had  only  been  too  deeply  sunk  in  his  own  misery 
to  think  about  him  at  all.  Now  the  recollection  of  a 
certain  similarity  between  their  fates  returned  to  him 
and  he  was  conscious  of  the  slightest  possible  sense  of 
satisfaction  in  the  knowledge  that  some  one  with 
whom  he  had  an  incipient  sympathy  was  near  at 
hand. 

The  incident  changed  the  current  of  his  thoughts, 
and  he  gave  up  the  idea  of  going  out.  He  took  the 
evenmg  papers  with  some  misgiving  and  sat  down  to 
look  them  over.  They  were  the  first  he  had  seen 
since  he  had  read,  eight  days  ago,  the  article  on  him- 
self  with  the  flaring  head-Une  RUIN!  He  glanced 
hastily  through  the  pages,  dreading  to  find  some  men- 
tion of  his  name;  but  it  was  a  relief  to  see  that  he  was 
apparently  forgotten.  Then  he  began  to  scan  the 
news,  as  he  used  to  do  in  the  days  when  the  world  had 
still  some  interest  for  him. 

Nothing  of  importance  had  happened,  and  yet  in 
spite  of  himself,  he  read  with  the  absorption  with 
which  one  reads  after  having  been  cut  off  from  the 
sources  of  information  by  a  week  at  sea.  He  was 
surprised,  in  the  end,  to  find  that  he  had  forgotten 
his  cares  for  a  little  while  and  that  the  evening  had 

204 


II 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

g^od^ccount."  Muir  said,  with  a  gLceTthTdic" 

''I'm  afraid  it  isn't  what  you'd  call  stt-dv  "  Ch^r 
terhouse  explained.     "In  the  house  whle  I'm 
gaged  there's  a  good  deal  of  forei^buSe      and  the" 
clerk  who  writes  French  is  goi^  to  "eav^     So  I 
thought  that  if  I  rubbed  up%he^Pre„chTk„o; 
™f!;*  ^^^^  ^  =''^°'=«  °i  getting  his  place." 

Jhats   a  good  idea,"   Muir  said,   approvingly 
Just  how  are  you  doing  it?"  FF'^vmgiy. 

"Well,'"  Charterhouse  went  on,  shyly,  "it's  all  in 

What  S  d^   '"^   ^"^"^""«  °*   co'r;es;ondeLe 
What  I  m  doing  is  to  make  up  imaginary  replies  to 

n^trjs.^"^^^- '-  ^-^^^"^  ^-  ^^e  ™'b;:i° 

"Just  let  me  see." 

Muir  took  a  small  chair,  and,  drawing  it  up  to  the 
boy  s  side,  looked  over  his  shoulder. 


The    Steps   of  Honor 


'J.i 


"That's  not  bad,"  he  commented,  when  he  had  run 
through  what  Charterhouse  had  written.  "There 
are  a  few  quite  common  expressions  that  you've  mis- 
taken. There,  for  instance,  '  Je  prie  de  vous  informer 
de  la  reception  de  voire  lettre '  isn't  a  good  way  of  say- 
ing '  I  beg  to  inform  you  of  the  reception  of  your  letter.' 
Better  put, '  J'ai  Ikouneur  de  vous  accuser  de  la  ri- 
ception,'  et  cetera.  And  there  again,  '  marchand  en 
gros '  is  'wholesale  merchant,'  not '  marchand  en  grand.' 
There's  a  grammatical  error;  marchandises  is  feminine 
and  plural,  not  masculine  and  singular.  And  I  see, 
too,  that  you're  a  little  weak  on  the  agreement  of  the 
past  participle.  You're  quite  right  here  in  saying, 
'quand  nous  aurons  i>eiu  voire  lettre,'  but  down  there 
it  should  be, '  la  lettre  que  nous  avons  re(ue.'  Now, 
suppose  you  start  afresh  and  write  it  over  again?" 

Charterhouse  thanked  him  and  did  so.  Mtiir  wait- 
ed and  made  new  criticisms.  When  he  rose  to  say 
good-night  it  was  already  late,  and  for  the  first  time 
in  long,  weary  weeks  he  was  sleepy. 

"We'll  go  on  with  that  to-morrow  night,  Charter- 
house," he  said,  as  he  was  leaving.  "When  Downing 
&  Co.  have  lost  one  French  correspondent  I  think  we 
can  be  sure  of  having  another  ready  to  put  in  his  place. 

On  returning  to  his  own  room  Muir  did  not  analyze 
his  emotions.  He  did  not  ask  whence  came  the 
faint  sense  of  comfort  that  stolo  over  his  heavy  heart. 
He  was  hungry,  and  he  ate  the  biscuit  and  drank  the 
glass  of  milk  Mrs.  Brooks  had  placed  on  his  table  in 
his  absence.  He  was  tired  and  went  to  bed.  The 
human  hand,  stretched  out  to  him  through  the  dark- 
ness, was  touching  him  at  last,  and,  unconsciously  to 
himself,  he  was  beginning  to  respond  to  it. 
ao6 


XVIII 

P!!fvf  T  ""-^  "^'^^  ^^^^  "'Sht,  and  the 
I  next  day  it  was  wilder.  Muir  re- 
imamed  in  his  room  writing  letters  for 
r  Johnny  Charterhouse  to  answer.  He 
I  made  himself  Monsieur  Durand  of 
Pans,  and  Monsieur  Dupont  of  Bor 
deaux  and  took  pains  to  introduce  all  the  technical' 
terms  he  could  think  of  in  connection  with  leather 
wool,  or  wine.     The  task  gave  him  a  douMe  plea  Jre 

lor  wnich  It  had  seemed  he  would  never  have  i,<=» 
again,  and  it  appealed  to  his  instinct  for  teaching 
To  teach  was  one  of  the  first  needs  of  his  nature    Tn 

^e  h  Jf  1°^'"'"*  ^^  ^  '^'^  °'  tl-^  «^Pansion  of  a  mind 
^e  had  the  same  delight  as  the  artist  in  the  evolm  on 
of  a  picture  or  the  conception  of  a  r61e.     So,  in  enter 

afnTbmerj;i''''r'?''"^^'^  ''""'''«  efforts  tTob. 
tain  a  better  place.  Muir  was  getting  back  to  th» 

ground  on  which  he  was  at  homf.     h!  did  not  staJe 

nl/knew  'wlh^f'^  ""T'  °' '''  signLTnVefh 
omy  knew  .,hat  the  stotTuy  day  passed  quickly 

tetiV^"^°^-  ^'''"'^'"S  with  dismay  of  the  lonT 

r^ntThi^  M    T'*  ,'"'''  '°  ''^'^  ^^'  Italian  re  tau: 

••&,meth  n    :-,^'°°'''  '""^^'"^y  ^PP^a^-l  ^^  the  door. 

Somethmg  told  me  to  do  it."  she  explained  to  Lucy 

ao;  " 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


afterwards,  when  the  results  of  her  proceeding  had 
taken  shape.  "  I  couldn't  bear  to  think  of  that  poor 
man  turning  out  into  the  storm  only  to  get  something 
to  eat,  and  us  with  plenty  of  good  victuals  ready  to 
set  on  the  table.  And  just  as  I  was  a-thinking  it  over 
something  told  me  to  walk  right  up  and  ask  him  to 
supper." 

Muir  declined  the  proffered  hospitality,  partly 
through  fear  of  giving  his  hostess  trouble,  and  partly 
from  a  sense  of  awkwardness  in  putting  himself  on 
exactly  the  same  level  as  Johnny  Charterhouse.  In 
spite  of  all  that  had  happened  he  had  a  certain  dignity 
to  maintain.  He  preserved  it  better — or  so  it  seemed 
to  him — amid  the  picturesque  dirt  of  the  Italian  quar- 
ter than  would  have  been  possible  in  the  unromantic 
cleanliness  of  Greenlahd  Park.  But,  notwithstand- 
ing his  hesitation,  "something  told"  Mrs.  Brooks  to 
press  her  invitation  home. 

"You  don't  know  how  I  sh'd  love  to  have  you,  Mr. 
Muir,"  she  quavered.  "My  daughter  Lucy'U  be  to 
home  from  school,  and  she'd  admire  to  make  your 
acquaintance;  I  know  she  would.  And  such  a  night, 
too!  It's  enough  to  give  any  one  their  death  just  to 
face  it.  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  your  turning  out 
into  it  when  we've  plenty  and  to  spare  in  the  house." 

Muir  yielded  with  some  misgiving,  but  when  he 
went  down,  an  hour  later,  to  Mrs.  Brooks's  modest 
dining-room  he  did  not  regret  having  done  so.  It 
was  bright  and  cheerful,  and  the  supper  was  of  the 
simple,  wholesome  variety  he  had  eaten  many  a  time 
in  summer  rambles  through  Vermont  or  New  Hamp- 
shire villages.  Mrs.  Brooks  and  Lucy  waited  at  table, 
serving  the  two  men  first,  and  then  sitting  down  to 
3o8 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

eat  with  them  Charterhouse  was  in  good  spirits  and 
talked,  with  what  for  him  was  briskness,  of  the  news 
in  town.  Muir,  at  first  under  some  constraint  from 
the  strangeness  of  his  situation,  gradually  felt  himself 
at  home  m  this  atmosphere  of  unpretentious  friendli- 
ness. 

On  taking  his  place  at  table  he  had  scarcely  looked 
at  Lucy  Brooks,  though  he  sat  opposite  to  her  It 
was  not  until  she  was  helping  her  mother  to  chanee 
the  plates  that  he  noticed  her  pretty  figure-in  a  rose- 
colored  blouse  and  gray  cloth  skirt-and  her  grace- 
fully shaped  head,  with  the  mass  of  fair  hair  low  on  the 
neck. 

„'T°".'^*  studying  to  teach,  I  think.  Miss  Brooks  " 
Muir  said,  when  she  sat  down  again. 

"Im  studying,"  the  girl  answered,  with  a  light 
laugh;  whether  it's  to  teach  or  not  will  depend  on 
how  I  pass  my  examinations  when  the  time  comes  " 

She  was  piqued  by  Muir's  lack  of  attention  to  her 
and  yet  when  he  addressed  her  she  blushed. 

"Oh,  you'll  pass  all  right,  if  you  work  hard," 
johnny  Charterhouse  said,  encouragingly. 

"Lucy's  bright,  tut  backward,"  Mrs. 'Brooks  ob- 
served. "Mr.  Charterhouse  has  helped  her  some-a 
^°?.rrZ  S^^^—^^^  there's  still  lots  for  her  to  do  " 

That's  not  very  complimentary,  ma,"  Lucy  com- 
plained. "I'm  no  more  backward  than  plenty  of 
other  giris  I  know.     It's  only  that— that— " 

"That  what?"  Muir  smiled,  sympathetically.  "Tell 
us.^   I'm  an  old  hand  at  teaching,  you  know." 

"That  I  hate  study,"  the  girl  burst  out.  " It's  such 
drudgery." 

"Of  course,"   Muir  agreed.     "Everything  worth 

'4  309 


m!, 
hi' 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

doing  Involves  drudgery;  md  teaching  more  than 
most  things,  perhaps." 

"But  I  don't  like  doing  what  I  can't  io  easily," 
Lucy  rejoined.  "That's  why  I  hate  Latin  and  alge- 
bra." 

"There's  a  good  deal  of  difference,"  Muir  said, 
slowly,  "  between  studying  for  one's  own  information 
only  and  studying  in  order  to  teach  others.  There 
are  subjects,  dry  and  uninteresting  to  one's  own 
taste,  that  become  quite  absorbing  when  you  know 
you're  going  into  them  for  some  one  else." 

"I'm  afraid  I'm  not  unselfish  enough  to  feel  that," 
Lucy  sighed.  "  If  a  thing  is  dry,  it's  dry,  and  I  might 
think  about  other  people  till  I  thought  myself  dazed 
and  it  wouldn't  make  any  difference." 

"That  isn't  just  my  point,"  Muir  explained!  "I 
mean  that  the  very  fact  that  you're  trying  to  under- 
stand a  subject  for  the  sake  of  making  it  clear  to 
others  puts  you  unconsciously  into  sympathy  with 
it  and  sends  your  mind  off  looking  for  the  salient  or 
essential  points  and  the  best  way  of  explaining  tliem." 

"It  wouldn't  send  mine,"  Lucy  insisted.  "I 
shouldn't  like  Latin  any  better  if  I  had  to  teach  a 
thousand  children  every  day." 

"What's  the  matter  with  it?"  Muir  laughed. 

"The  matter  with  it,"  the  girl  answered,  "is  that 
it's  quite  impossible.  There  never  coul  have  been 
people  who  dropped  their  words  all  about,  anyhow, 
those  that  ought  to  come  first  in  the  middle,  those 
that  ought  to  be  in  the  middle  at  the  beginning,  and 
the  beginning  itself  nowhere.  It's  as  if  you  threw 
the  words  of  a  sentence  into  the  air  and  arranged 
them  as  they  happened  to  come  down." 

310 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

m  'u?r^  '°"^  ''"^^  ^"^  '^'"  *°''''"8  »'  ^'in ?"  Muir 

tJnIZV"'C  "''?,«"'"'«'■«».  "and  I'm  not  much 
lurther  than  where  I  began." 

"Perhaps  I  could  help  you." 

n»!l;l''^l',f  I";!""  •'"^"-'■•'"n  sheer  instinctive  sym- 
pathy wjth  the  young  thing  floundering  along  the 
to,lsome  road  to  knowledge.  If  there  was  an  upleap- 
ing  of  his  heart  in  resuming  the  mission  with  which 
Heaven  had  sent  him  into  the  world  he  was  not,  for 
the  moment,  aware  of  it.  He  only  hastened  the  end 
of  supper  with  perceptible  eagerness,  and.  while  Lucy 
helped  her  mother  to  clear  the  table  and  get  out  her 
lZ^.t  *"'/'«'l  himself  in  explaining  the  letters  he 
had  written  for  Johnny  Charterhouse. 

"You'll  see,"  he  told  the  boy.  "that  I've  brought 
in  ^1  the  terms  we  spoke  of  last  night,  and  I  want  you 
to  be  especially  careful  with  your  past  participles. 
By  the  time  you've  answered  these  I  shall  have  fin- 
ished with  Miss  Brooks.     Then  I'll  co;ne  up." 

So  the  evening  pa-^sed  even  more  quickly  ..lan  the 
aay.     It  was  nearly  ten  when  Lucy  Brooks  pushed 

S  QK*^'  T'^  ^°°^'^  "P  ^"""'"K  and  trium- 
phant She  felt  that,  after  all,  she  knew  more  Latin 
than  she  had  supposed.  She  had  scanned  and  parsed 
and  construed  in  such  a  way  that  Muir  had  kept  sav- 

wv.'  f  ^"  -^""fr  '"^^^^'^  S°°'^'"  ^"  the  evening. 
When  he  said,  "That's  not  quite  right;  where's  your 
nominative?  it  had  required  only  the  slightest  steer- 
ing on  his  part  to  enable  her  to  go  smoothly.  For  the 
fi«t  time  m  her  life  she  had  an  inkling  that  the  Aineid 
might  be  real  poetry,"  and  the  hexameter  some- 
thing more  than  an  aimless  collection  of  sounds.  It 
an 


!'! 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

was  only  on  reflection  that  she  grasped  the  fact  that 
the  quahty,  if  not  the  quantity,  of  Muir's  explana- 
tions was  the  cause  of  her  sudden  progress  She 
thanked  him  with  pretty  effusiveness  that  was  all  the 
more  sincere  from  her  contrition  at  having  judged 
him  harshly.  ■"     * 

''Oh,  I  like  doing  it,"  Muir  smiled,  carelessly  "If 
It  helps  you,  we  can  go  on  with  it  to-morrow  night,  and 
perhaps  I  could  give  you  a  lift  with  your  algebra." 

I  m  not  so  bad  at  that,"  the  girl  returned  "I 
hate  It,  though  I  can  do  it  somehow.  But  my  chum 
Daisy  Pine,  is  simply  awful  at  it.  The  teacher  just 
can  t  get  it  into  her  head.     She  Uves  next  door  " 

Then  bring  her  in,"  Muir  said,  warmly,  seizing 
the  request  in  Lucy's  intonation.  "There's  nothing 
stupider  than  algebra  when  it  isn't  clear  to  you  and  I 
dare  say  I  shall  be  able  to  help  her." 

"To  help!  The  word  was  coming  frequently  to 
Muir  s  hps.  He  used  it  several  times  again  when  he 
went  up  to  work  with  Johnny  Charterhouse.  "I 
could  help  you  in  this.  I  could  help  you  in  that,"  he 
kept  repeating,  in  approval  of  the  boy's  vaguely 
sketched  plans  of  future  study.  He  noticed  the 
repetition  himself  later  when  he  had  returned  to  his 
own  room  and  was  thinking  the  evening  over.  The 
reflection  made  him  smile  grimly. 

'"He  saved  others,'"  he  quoted,  while  he  was  un- 
dressing, '"himself  he  cannot  save.'  It  is  possible 
that  I  may  be  able  to  help  these  youngsters  out  of  the 
waters  whence  I  shall  never  emerge.  I  shall  be  Uke 
those  old  actors  who  can  teach  other  men  their  parts, 
though  they  can  never  go  on  the  stage  again.  Well 
I  dare  say  the  work  isn't  wholly  worthless.     1  wonder 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

jsn  t  what  we  had  planned  Jthe  end  .VNovembei 
but  I  ve  drawn  the  wine  ..no  I  n.ust  irinkT     M^ 

honortf  its  S°.r'  "^"^  -  '"^'>--.  but  it  is  still 

So  his  thoughts  wandered  away  from  the  oimnU 

orsXtheT''"/'  ^""^  •^^  --t  totdttlirS! 
beixn  ;"  Vo     ^'^'^^^"^^  '°  l^»^-«  of  what  he  had 


XIX 

PT'S  simply  shameful  on  Agatha's 
fpart,"  Persis  said,  indignantly, 
j"  .She's  making  him  feel  that  she's 
Jin  love  with  him,  and,  worse  than 
[all,  she's  capable  of  marrying  him." 
"And  why  shouldn't  she  marry 
him?"  the  professor  asked. 

"  Because  she  doesn't  care  that  about  him,"  Persis 
answered,  snapping  her  fingers  into  the  air,  with  a 
wholly  dramatic  gesture. 

She  was  sitting  on  a  footstool  beside  her  uncle's 
chair,  in  an  attitude  Mrs.  WoUaston  would  have  re- 
buked gently  if  she  had  been  there  to  see.  It  was  late 
in  the  afternoon,  and  the  light  outside  had  that  golden 
quality  peculiar  to  the  season  when  the  days  are 
perceptibly  growing  long.  It  was  only  the  end  of 
March,  but  it  had  been  a  mild  March;  the  grass  and 
trees  on  the  Common  were  already  putting  on  the  look 
of  life  that  comes  just  before  the  actual  spring,  and 
Miss  Blight  had  announced  the  passage  of  the  eariiest 
birds.  It  was  not  cold,  but  the  professor  loved  his 
fire.  He  sat  toasting  his  feet,  with  his  big  volume 
closed  in  his  lap,  while  he  listened  to  Persis  pouring 
out  her  indignant  heart.  During  the  winter  they  had 
had  many  intimate  talks,  when  Mrs.  WoUaston  was 
out  of  the  way.     The  old  man  was  awakening  to  the 

314 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

Sfhv  K-.'^Jf  "^^''  ^"'^  ^^^  "°  J°°g«^  q«ite  a  child. 
f„H  ^ff  ^«^^"°wed  her  to  creep  into  his  confidence 
and  suffered  himself  to  be  admitted  into  hers  There 
was  a  taat  understanding  that  the  new  relationsWo 
was  entirely  between  themselves.  M^.  WouS 
was  still  stnct  as  to  the  subjects  on  which  PersUcouM 
speak  or  be  spoken  to.  and  neither  had  the  courage  o 
nsk  her  disapproval.     They  excluded  her,  the^forl 

Hr«t  ^°r^''^'^  °^  '"™<=^-  When  she  ;as  at  he 
dressmaker's  or  at  church  Persis  took  advantageof 
the  opportumty  thus  afforded  to  curl  herself  do,™ 
serv?  •>" 'f,'^'^^  f™-hair  and  chatter  without  2 
serve.  To  the  old  man  this  semi  -  clandestine  inti- 
macy gave  not  only  a  sweetness  to  the  day's  routine, 
but  a  certain  satisfaction  in  "scoring  over  Fanny  " 
^      She  doesnt  care  that  for  him,"  Persis  repeated, 

and  she  s  making  him  think  she  does.     If  he  were  to 
^'•KT.\°  ^r  ^'"^  P°='''^«  ^he'd  take  him." 

..  nu   I    ^  ^°"^  ^'  ^^  "=^"=  enough  for  two-" 
Uh,  but  he  doesn't,"  she  said,  quickly     "That'.! 

Paul  h^'^  ''7  """""^  =^^'  ^"<^  •*  "'^''-  it  wo?se 
Paul  has  changed  towards  Agatha -ever  since  the 
trouble  about  poor  Mr.  Muir.  Igatha  doesn't  know  £ 
and  Paul  doesn't  know  it  himself.  Cousin  Abby  Leg- 
gett  and  Cousin  Mary  Dunster  are  so  bound  to  bring 

XlZ  f"  I  "'  *^.^*  '^^y  '^°"'*  Sive  either  of  them  f 
chance  to  know  their  own  minds.  They  all  think 
Paul  is  crazy  about  her—" 

"And  how  do  you  know  he  isn't?" 

ull^J^V'":~r^^^  '"''^'  ^^"^  '^^°"e  emphasis  on  the 
last  word.  "I  can  tell  by  what  he  says  to  me  about 
her.  He  admires  her  because  she's  got  that  air  of 
race  and  distinction.  Before  she  was  engaged  to  Mr. 
"5 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

still.     He  thinks  he  is  because  he  thinks  he  ou^ht  t^ 
1>e^.^and  so  he  thinks  he  must  be;  but  I 'can  st^^ 

'■You're  uncommonly  perspicacious  " 

and  these  were  his  very  words,  Uncle  HectorI%f7 
were  a  woman,'  he  said,  'and  I  loved  a  man    T',1 1 
hanged  if  I  wouldn't  stick  to  him  wL  eveThe  did ' 

arhat -tln^t  t'o^e':  mfn  i/st"'  T^  ™ 

^der  With  him';  ^ni^i^::^^,^;^^^./; 

ed,  vehemently.     "As  I  say,  he  admires  her   hu  A I 
ha^  -0^1^^"°^  ^°"^^"="°"  '-  '-  -ymor:  thanks  J: 

it  ioifidt  Tg^Jd^lfr- ''''  -^'-  -  '-^  - 

'Match! 'Persis  cried,  scornfully     "IshouMtj,;  i. 
It  would  be  a  match-a  regular  shooting-maS ,    Be 

Then  why  not  let  her?"  ""cei. 

zi6 


The    Steps   of  Honor 


ought  to  be.  The  onirw  e  for  pL"^,  ""1*"'  ''  "« 
who'd  put  him  first,  who' JhoM  hif  o  "  '^'  """""" 
sider  his  comfort  and  enter  .ntow'  ,?'"'?'  ^"^  <^°"- 
self  to  him  in  every  way  as  such  a  m^  'J!'^  ^^^?'  ^''■ 
expect.  Agatha  wouM '  wa^t  to  H?  ^'"  ^  "^''*  *° 
her  train.  He'd  never  be  anLv  ^  •""  ^'°"S  ■" 
one  of  a  dozen  me"™  if  7  "^•'"°'''  '°  ^^'  "^^" 
over.  It  would  be  wi  kd  S.T!' ''''"*- *'-- 
treated  like  that  espSv  w,,  I  *°.°  ^"""^  '°  ^^ 
stand  his  own  state  ^rS  "  '"  ''  '°'^"'*  ""'^^- 
^^  Why  don't  you  warn  him?"  the  professor  asked. 

Jli^^giri  'aughed  disdainfully 
What  has  it  to  do  with  me  ?    T  ^o„  >* 

Well,  she's  not  in  now  and  I  will  sav  it     Th„  - 
had  experience  enough  to  hav-Tl     ^  S  They  ve 
sense.     They're  old  fl  \  f  ^^^*  ^«^'  '""'■e 

They  want  k'l  and  a3;  ^^^T  °"'l  ''"°^^- 
want  them  to  be  ham^f,  •  •  ^  ""^PPy'  ^"^^  they 
other.     It  makes  me"^  nL'"  .TK  '^"^^  ^^^  ^"^  no 

only  P.aying"£th"eir  Sd"  Urs^e  ha""'^''.^-  '^ 
else  to  do     If  anv  nn=       '^^'^ause  she  has  nothmg 

pleased  her  bSteT  ^h^^dM^rw '^arD^^'r  t° 
with  no  more  compunction  tharifh?  ""  ^'"^^ 
^^n,  fit.     I  kno^  her.^-^SitrMr^Ll 

217 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

she's  been  as  devoid  of  conscience  as  she's  been  of 
heart  Its  a  curious  thing  that  she  should  have 
turned  out  that  way  while  he's  been  doing  so  much 

"Ah?"  the  old  man  interrupted.  "What  do  you 
know  about  him?"  ' 

"I  know  a  good  deal,"  she  answered,  with  a  sud- 
den change  of  tone. 
"Ah?" 

"I  always  meant  to  tell  you,"  she  continued,  with 
some  hesitation.  "I  know  you  and  Aunt  Fanny 
won  t  approve — "  ' 

"You  may  be  sure  we  won't." 
"But  I've  done  it;  and  when  Aunt  Fanny  finds  it 
"""^u^  "i^"  J"^'  ^^y  "^at  she  Ukes  and  I'll  bear  it  " 
_ That  s  kmd  of  you.     But  what  have  you  done?" 
I  may  as  well  tell  you  first  as  last." 
"It  ;eems  to  me  you  make  it  last  " 
"  I've  seen  Mr.  Muir.     I've  seen  him  on  an  average 
about  once  a  week  since  Christmas." 
"And  you've  deceived  v.s?" 
"I  haven't  meant  to  deceive  you.     I  only  didn't 

that'"C°lwr*^'-  "^."'^  ^'"^  <^°"«  -°^^«  th-n 
Mr.  Rr  7  fl  "''  ^"""^  '*  ^"  ^*  °"^«-  I'^«  taken 
Mrs.  Brooks  flowers  to  put  in  his  room  and  books  to 
lend  him  and  jelly  for  his  supper  and—" 

'Oh    Lord!    Oh,  Lord!     What  a  disgrace!    The 
man  will  think  you're  making  love  to  him  " 

''He  doesn't  think  anything  about  it,  except  that 
he  knows  I  go  back  and  forward  to  the  house." 
The  house!    What  house?" 
"  Mrs  Brooks's.     It's  in  Roxbury.     I'll  tell  you  all 
about  ,t.     But,  Uncle  Hector,  dear  Uncle  Hector 
»i8 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

please  don't  tell  Aunt  Panny-till-tiU-till  there's  a 
n«re  ojnvement  opportunity.     She'd  stop  meTrom 

''And  so  shall  I,  miss." 

"Yes,  but  1  could  disobey  you— that  is   if  T  tnlH 

Or,;  Jr,  ?'      ""^  '•"'  "^^y-     It  ^as  an  accident 

2L  talking    Tr  K°°*  '°"8  ^"^^  the  trouble   I 
was  talking  to  Paul  about  Mr.  Muir  and  that  noor 
young  Charterhouse  and  clothes  and  one  thin/and 
another,  and  Paul  said  there  was  a  very  good  Iress 
maker  over  in  Roxbury-in  Greenland  ParK„d"not" 

"Well.?" 
cjJTfi'  ^  "*"*  *°  '^^  ^"-  and  she  made  me  this  " 

''■■ilLt^an??' °^''"^^^-^^- "•--'- 

;;No;  she  made  me  the  tailor  suit  you  liked  and-" 
happeS."  ''"  "'^*  '""^  "^^^  y--     Tell  me  what 

''Nothing  happened;  only  one  day,  when  I'd  crnn^ 
to  be  fitted,  I  saw  Mr.  Muir  just  b/^hTnce."     ^ 

I  supTo^e.v"'  °'  '''""■  ^°"  '"•^'^  ^«  «-^  there. 
"Yes;  because  Mrs.  Brooks  talked  about  him  all 
tic  •^"M^''^  ^^'^  g'^«n  «>«  °"«  or  two  new 
to^^see^MrSro^"'^"'^  *'^*  ''^  ^'^""^^t  ^e'd  hII 
Mr    Ch^rflrv;  ?  r^'  *°  '^"<^  them  casually  to 

Mr.  Charterhouse     I  had  nothing  to  do  with  it  at 

house^''"^       ""  '^°''^^'  '^^'  *'^^°"«h  Mr.  Charter- 

J-'J^l  ^°°^^  ''""''^  '''ter  along  to  Muir     I  shoulrt 
thmk  Ounster  would  be  ashamed  of  himself  " 
219 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"Oh,  so  he  is!    That  is,"  the  girl  corrected,  "he 
has  no  sympathy  with  Mr.  Muir     He  doesn't  lilce 
him.     He  only  calls  him  'poor  devil,'  and  thinks  he 
has  tried  his  best  to  atone  for  what  he  did.     And  so 
he  h^,  Uncle  Hector.     If  you  only  knew  the  good 
hes  doing! 
"Hmph!     What  sort  of  good?" 
"Just  the  sort  that  you'd  approve  of." 
"Don't  drag  me  into  it,  miss.     Tell' me  about  it 
first. 

"Well,  you  must  know,  Uncle  Hector,  that  out  in 
Roxbury  there  are  a  great  many  people  of  the  verv 
kind  you'd  like — "  ' 

"Leave  me  out,  pjease." 

"I  mean,"  she  pursued,  "they're  not  poor  and  yet 
not  rich.  They  earn  good  livings  and  are  comfortable 
But  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  so  Mrs.  Brooks  says  the 
boys  and  girls  have  to  leave  school  just  at  the  time 
when  they're  learning  how  to  study.  They  get 
through  the  worst  of  the  drudgery  and  reach  the  point 
where  the  mind  begins  to  be  formed— Mr.  Muir  told 
me  this— and  then  it's  all  over.  They've  got  to  go 
into  shops  and  offices  and  work." 
"So  they  should." 

"  Yes ;  that's  what  they  all  say.  But  still  there  are 
always  some  who'd  like  to  go  on  and  study  longer 
Uts.  Brooks  says  it  makes  all  the  difference  with  what 
they  can  do  in  after-life.  She  says  that  many  a  man 
who  could  have  made  something  of  himself  never  gets 
further  than  the  counter  with  fifteen  dollars  a  week 
just  because  his  training  had  to  stop  by  the  time  he 
was  seventeen.  And,  oh.  Uncle  Hector,  you've  no 
idea  how  bnght  and  clever  and  in  earnest  lots  of  those 

220 


The   Steps   of  H 


onor 

yojng  people  out  ii,  Roxburv  aret  Th.  •  • 
alive  as  they  can  be.  IVe  mad  fin  J  '^  ?  J"'*  ^ 
them-Lucy  Brooks  and  dS  Rnr  f  ^'-^  '"""^  °^ 
and  so  I  know  Th»t^  "aisy  Pme,  for  instance- 
are  interestedTneJerv^lrlr^  ''"^  "^"-  ^"d 
discovery  of  rTdlum-k,^  '  vT  ^''^"°'^  °"^«  t°  the 
Only  thJir  chrnt^l^.e  fiC^,^^"^  "^r- 

opening-thafswhatMr.Muirsavs      Th     '  T'"*^  '' 
just  to  the  point  where  tra^n^K'    .^''^J' «  Earned 

„g,„  y  practised  on  your  poor  aunt  Fanny  and 

"  I  should  think  it  would  excuw  it  tt„  i    « 
or  some  of  it,  at  least      Wh      r        '  „   '^'^  Hector— 
himself  up  to  help  these  Sn".     ''T  '^'-  '^'^'^  ^'^'"S 
needed  the  kind  of  hefp  that  o!,r'°f  '"'*  ^''^"  '^^y 
give  them,  well-then-"         ^    ''°™  *'*"''^'"  ^°"'d 

''Well-then-what?    Go  on  " 

" iLf  no/'  ^°'"i*°  ^'^  "°^=  ^ith  me,  I  can't  " 

Cen°:d^^-t'^"°-  --^  -u.,S/';^X  wZ^ 
twenty  of  these  younj  peopt'IrounrS  1^^^^ 

221  ■' 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

can't  imagine  the  hep  he's  giving  them.    There's 
that  Mr.  Charterhouse,  for  example.     He  was  taken 
on  by  a  place  in  Atlantic  Avenue  just  as  an  errand 
boy,  and  now  he's  their  foreign  correspondent  at  ever 
so  big  a  salary.     Mr.  Muir  did  that  just  by  teaching 
him  to  write  easily  in  commercial  French.     Mr.  Char- 
terhouse told  me  so.     And  there's  Lucy  Brooks  and 
Daisy  Pine,  who  are  going  to  be  school  -  teachers. 
Mr.  Muir  is  coaching  them,  and  they're  simply  crazy 
about  their  work  and  him.     And  there  are  ever  so 
many  others.     Most  of  ther.i  had  left  school  already, 
but  now  they  are  studying  with  him  at  nights;  and 
I  do  think,  Uncle  Hector,  that  it's  perfectly  lovely." 
"  And  so  you've  been  taking  him  flowers  and  jelly  ?" 
"I  took  them  to  Mr.;.  Brooks.     Of  course  I  knew 
he'd  get  the  benefit  of  them,  because  he's  her  idol. 
Arid  besides  that— I  might  just  as  well  tell  you—" 
''Just  as  well.     Let  me  hear  the  worst." 
''I've  been  reading  German  with  Daisy  Pine,  and 
we've  helped  each  other  more  than  you  can  fancy. 
I've  gone  over  there  twice  a  week  when  you  and  Aunt 
Fanny  have  thought  I  was  out  with  the  girls." 
"And  you've  seen  Muir  every  time,  1  suppose?" 
"  No;  only  when  he's  come  in  to  show  Daisy  and  me 
what  to  do.     German  is  the  only  thing  I  know  well 
enough  to  help  in,  and  it  '11  give  her  a  much  better 
position  if  she  knows  it  thoroughly." 

"And  what  sort  of  a  position  do  you  think  you've 
been  getting  for  yourself,  madam?" 
"I  suppose  a  pretty  bad  one.  But  I  don't  care, 
■  Uncle  Hector.  I  wanted  to  do  it,  and  Paul  knew 
about  it  all  the  time.  He's  been  ever  so  nice  to  Mr. 
Muir,  in  a  way  no  one  suspects.     He  wrote  to  the 

223 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

National  people  and  told  them  about  the  work  at 

ber     And  besides  that,  Blinn  &  Co  — " 
Pooh!     Pooh!     Blinn  &  Co  i"  ' 

ten  Je'rlrSil^  Sttft^-  jT.T  "  «^* 
thing  about  it  -  '       '  ^  '^^  '  ''""'^  *"/- 

■•I  tWn^•T  ^""^  ^  ''°"'*  ^^"'  t°  know" 
"thatBhn n'frr'  '''"V°"'  '°°'''"e  ^*  Wm  fixedly. 
He  snrZ  .    I-  ^T  ■""  *''"  ^"^l'  because  you-" 

thfbi-^^.\°Sl  ifthTLr-  -"'-'-- 

alar^^^  ■Vh:"/rthVdot^.^'^'^°  ^  '°"^  ^^^^P-  "^ 

^risSarhrsLX:-^'''"^  ^'^  -^^•"  ^'^ 

; I'll  spare  her  that.     It  would  kill  her." 
Pine?"         "^^  ^°  °°  ""^^'"^  ^«^«a"  with  Daisy 
■'No-no!    Not  unless  you  disobey  me.     Sh!" 

Wolla^S'^U^d  in°*'  ^^^"^"^  '"  ^"--  -•>-  Mrs. 
333 


.If 


XX 

JHE  next  morning  Persis  was  sent  with 

r  a  message  to  Agatha  from  Mr.  Wollas- 

I  ton.     She  was  to  say  that  he  was  con- 

I  fined  to  the  house  with  a  cold,  that  in 

I  the  afternoon   Mrs.  Wollaston  would 

..      ,j.      „       ^^  **  her  Bee,  that  Persis  would  be 

gaddmg     and  he  himself  left  alone;  that  any  stray 

crumbs  from  the  rich  table  of  Miss  Royal's  society 

would,  therefore,  be  thankfully  accepted. 

He  was  sitting  by  the  fire,  with  a  rug  over  his  knees 
when  she  arrived  about  four.  He  did  not  get  up  to 
greet  her,  but  with  his  quick,  shrewd  gaze  he  inspected 
her  as  she  came  down  the  room  towards  him  It  was 
the  ''ork  of  a  se  d,  but  the  result  was  the  confirma- 
t  on  of  what  he  had  already  observed.  Agatha  looked 
o  der-decidedly  older.  It  was  as  if  the  light  in  a 
cloudless  sky  was  no  longer  that  of  morning,  but  of 
early  afternoon.  Agatha  was  twenty-six,  but  she 
tmght  have  been  taken  for  thirty.     She  had  not  lost 

her  distinction:  but  she  was  thinner,  her  expression 
colder,  her  general  bearing  prouder.  In  her  carriage 
she  was  more  self-possessed,  more  easy,  more  alert; 
what  the  professor  missed  in  her  was  the  old  sym- 
pathy which  had  always  put  them  in  immediate  touch 
with  each  other.  In  her  smile  there  was  affection,  but 
224 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

It  hl*7ll  "^  °"'"  ""^^  """'  «°"'-  I"  her  grasp  of 
the  hand  there  was  cordiality,  but  a  cordiality  from 

fiS  ';f '''I  "'""  '""  '^^««-  '"  ^hc  slightly  a^ 
tificial  off-hand  tone  with  which  she  said  "How  do 
you  dor  he  divined  the  woman  for  whom  one  perso^ 
had  become  almost  like  another.  He  knew  there  was 
no  special  barrier  between  him  and  herrthere  was 
only  a  barrier  between  her  and  every  on^  He  had 
seen  her  raise  it.     Ever  since  the  day  when  she  had 

branded  on  her  heart,  he  had  watched  her  build  her 
defences  agamst  the  world.  With  her  humiliation 
she  had  rettred  behind  them.  She  had  tried  not  only 
to  shut  out  sympathy,  but  to  hide  the  very  fact  that 

cSnfirt'""'""^-     ^^'  '^"'^  '"'"'"'  ""'her  friend 
confidant,  nor  counsellor.     In  her  nature  there  wer^ 
reserves  of  strength,  and  she  had  had  nothing  to  do 
but  tax  them.     She  had  done  so  with  valiant  rfckless- 
tZl^l'T'""^  her  nerves  and  breaking  her  heart  with 
the  indifference  of  one  who  would  never  again  have 
use  for  either.     She  avoided  the  bravado  of  defiance 
as  dexterously  as  she  concealed  the  futility  of  grief 
As  nearly  as  might  be  she  made  Anthony  Muir's 
standard  of  acting  her  own.     She  appeared  simple 
and  natural,  with  that  perfection  of  bearing  which 
hides  effort.     After  a  few  days  of  decorous  sem" 
seclusion  she  appeared  one  afternoon  among  some 
dozen  or  twenty  people  at  Mrs.  Arlington  Revere's 
Any  one  could  see  that  she  had  passed  through  an  un- 
usual expenence-she  was  paler,  quieter,  and  more 
pensive.     But  that  was  all.     If  she  did  not  talk  gayly 
at  least  she  talked  readily  and  without  emotion      It 
was  the  very  hour  at  which  Anthony  Muir  was  ieav- 


The  Steps    of  Honor 


ing  Westmorland  Hall  and  going  out  of  th»  nu  .-. 
forever.     Prom  his  condition  of  bitterness  aV       ,^ 
ness  he  pictured  hers      R»  »^„  ij^         ^  ^""^  '°"el»- 

well  poised,  quietly  listening  tnV-      r    ^:  ^'*«^"*- 

f  tnent.     It  was  generalfy  "J  th-<^  ^  '^"" 

have  loved  Muir  at  all  nfh!  •  u  ^^^  "^^^'"  <='"^W 
carried  hersdf  so    i;'^^^]";!  ^^«  -"'^  not  have 

old  man  whose  experience  of  th/h  '  ""T^'''  °°« 
literature  had  tau^h^v     .    ^^e  heroines  of  mediaval 

an's  heart  anVwSei°;r' *''"«"'' °*^-°'°- 
eye.  To  AgX's  LIl-  *^^"  «  ^^''^  ^eets  the 
ulously     ''«^*'^^^  Sheeting  now  he  responded  quer- 

be"S°r:„;/rd  yt"w:£.t"  ^°"^  ^  "^^-^^ 

to  inquire  Hrl  r  ^  .  °  *  *^P  «*  the  door 
here?"?  How   long   .s    it   since   youVe    been 

long -plumed  hat  .=h»  i,  ^  ^^""8^  ^^^'^s  and 

selfVfficSy  elual  to  anv"?  T'  °'  "^»-PP™"ted 
"Don't  ask  r^eTshe  r"L  T''r""-  °'  '"*'• 
ashamed  of  myself.  Thelct  I  vJ  ""  '^^"'^Shiy 
•i^ned  out  three  times  thi:  w^k  ^^^^^ Ln£ 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


But  if  I'd  known  you  want- 


I'm  going  to  the  theatre, 
ed  to  see  me — " 

"I  didn't-at  least,  not  till  now.     My  first  inten 
tion  was  not  to  see  you  even  if  you  came   but  on  /» 
ond  thoughts  it  seemed  to  me  better t'haveTt  out' 
^Lr\]Tr  *''^"  *°  8o  on  cherishing  !n-feeiin? 

Hears  of  what,  Mr.  WoUaston?    I  don't  think  I 
know  what  you  mean."  "^  ^ 

What  do  you  mean  by  yet?     If  you're  not  ma, 
ned  yet.  yet  you  are  engaged,  I  supper  "°*  '""^ 
_  No,  no.     I  assure  you—" 
'■You're  not  engaged  to  Paul  Dunster?" 
No,  Mr.  Wollaston;  no,  no.     I  assure  you-" 

to  bf  iTi^    ^"f""  '"'•     "  y°"'^«  «°'  yo"  ought 
..L    , ''^"  y°"'"e  crazy  about  him  " 

wiJStmiir"^  '*  "*'"  ^*~"^'^-"  ^'^^  P-t-ted, 
"And  I  hoped  you  were.     So  did  Pannv     She'll 
be  as  disappointed  as  I  am  to  hear  it  isn't' settled 
How  ,t  does  hang  fire,  to  be  sure!     In  my  timtit 

C^to^sXt":'-"^-^^"'^"^-'^''-^^^^^^ 

The  smile  faded  partially  from  Agatha's  lips  and 
But.  Mr.  Wollaston,"  she  began,  her  eyes  fixed 

227 


The    Steps    of  H 


onor 

•'wo?,l]'""'''  °l  "^"^  '"  ^^^  old-fashioned  carpet 
^would  you  adv.se  me-would   you  really  aZse 

''Advise  you!"  the  old  man  cried,  starting  forward 

FaSnvInd  Ahh^^'r'^"'  "^'^^  P'^^'"^  ^-  '*  TWs 
Krd  Law  f^  ^'^^'"  ^"-^  ^^^  °«^n«t«'  and  the 
W  ^°'^^J'°^  "any  «°re  old  women  in  the  family 

the  W  !S  "^"^  °"  ''^^'^  ^^"'J^'l  knees  about Tfor 
onlv  f    ^r  ^f  "•     ^°"'^«  S°t  t°  do  it  now.      i  °s 
only  for    he  sake  of  keeping  up  their  faith     "  he 
efficacy  of  mtercession." 
;;  Yes.  but  you-"  she  began  again. 

th,*  D  ,  ^^  ^^'■'  ^"y  °°^  '^th  half  an  eye  can  see 
that  Paul  Dunster  wis  sent  into  this  world  o^n  p^ose 

itJs  that  'r  V  '"''  °'  "  "^""^^^  "^-^^ '"  Wen 
It  s  that  one.  You  can  see  now  why  we  were  so  unset 
when  you  were  engaged  to  Muir. "  ^ 

"Oh,  please."  she  cried,  with  a  sudden  start  a<!  if 
he  had  touched  a  wound  ' 

T  vJ.  1^  don  t  see  why  we  shouldn't-just  you  and 
I.  you  know.  But  to  come  back  to  Paul  Dunster  r 
can  see  you  married  now.  I  can  see  how  ha^y^ou'd 
be.  Why,  you're  cut  out  to  be  the  wife  for  him  T? 
isn't  every  one  would  do  for  Paul  XtlV-T 
who'd  be  adaptable  enough  "  '°  *  '^^  °°« 

not  ?u;e!!"'"  '''*■"  ''''  '^"S''^'''  —sly.  "r^     • 

338 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


as  your  master--  '^^  "^ ''"'"™'  ^  Wm 

of  submission  on  theTne  st^t  S!!l^  "^^  ^"^  1"««- 

niartSe'tl'p'a^"^  m"'"'^'  '"  «="^'^1-  ^-t  of  your 
thing,  but taSge  bCf  ',"  ^'""^'  "^^^  ''^  °»« 
another.  And  what  pfuTrr  ■'  P''"^  ^"^^  *»  ^e 
cept  his  opinionrafyoulufd  U' M  1'^  "'^°'''  ^'=- 
its  as  you  would  whnM'  T^°  "^  ^'^°P*  ^s  hab- 
objectofheSandtt   v'^"  v '  ''°'^^°^  ^^e  fit^t 

;^r„i?S  IS? """"-v^fs 

and  when  I  sav  <io  iL        ■  ""  ^^^  position, 

pKment  "         ^       ^  "  ^^^'^^  y°"  ^  ^^^X  high  com- 

" Thank  you,"  she  said,  drvlv   <!f;il  i^^u-       ^ 
at  the  roses.     The  smile  ^wiLLl         °^°^.  ^°'^ 

■  her  lips,  quivered  as  if  11^      ^u  "T^"  •l"^'^  '^ft 
r  I  M^u'cicu  as  II  uncertain  whethpr  tr.  /i;„..i 
into  tears  or  laughter.  wnetner  to  dissolve 

'I  can  see  it.     I  can  wo  if  "  j,-  _     x 
astically.     "You'd  IT  a        '  •  .^  ^^^  °°'  «"th«si- 

239 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

after  them,  as  I  suppose  he'll  be.     You'd  nurse  them 
out  of  their  callowness  and  turn  them  loose  upon  the 
world.     After  that  your  mere  social  life  would  be  at 
an  end.     Paul  wouldn't  want  you  to  waste  your  time 
on  It.     Your  existence  would  become  as  placid  as  if 
you  were  locked  in  a  box.     You'd  read  with  him  and 
work  with  him  and  copy  for  him,  perhaps,  and  make 
yourself  useful  in  a  way  you  wouldn't  get  a  chance 
of  domg  with  nine  husbands  out  of  ten.     Paul  would 
expect  it  of  you,  and  you'd  be  proud  to  do  it.     Lc-d 
if  I'd  had  a  wife  like  that!    If  I  were  you  I'm  not  sure 
that  I  shouldn't  take  a  course  in  stenography  or  type- 
writing and  begin  at  once.     It  would  be  of  the  great- 
est help  m  the  wortd  to  Paul,  and  would  give  you 
something  to  fill  up  your  time." 

He  stopped  to  cough,  and  she  took  advantage  of 
the  opportunity  to  speak. 

"  But  wouldn't  it  be  rather  soon  to  begin  such  active 
preparations  when  he  hasn't  asked  me  to  marry  him 

"Oh.  that's  nothing!"  he  returned,  when  he  had 
found  his  voice  again.     "Fanny  had  our  house  fur- 
nished—in  her  mind's  eye,  that  is— and  had  begun 
giving  dinner-parties  long  before  I  proposed  to  her 
When  you  know  a  thing  is  sure,  it's  as  good  as  done." 
But  I  don't  know  that  it  is  sure." 
"In  any  case  you  can  be  getting  yourself  ready. 
I  here  s  no  harm  in  that.     You  can  be  thinking  it 
over  aad  studying  his  tastes  beforehand  and  trying 
your  best  to  please  him,  so  that  when  the  time  comes 
he  may  have  as  Uttle  fault  to  find  as  possible     You're 
a  sensible  girl,  Agatha.     I  've  always  said  that  of  you  • 
and  I  can't  tell  you  how  much  I've  admired  the  way 
330 


The  Steps  of  Honor 

tw      T  u  ,•      '"y^'ty  was  any  good  in  a  case  likf 

Ana  It  I  did  what  harm?  Haven't  I  been  like  a 
father  to  you?  Is  there  anybody  who  has  a  beA.^ 
nght  to  speak  to  you  than  I?  '^ell  me  that  n^w  " 
She  shook  her  head,  but  did  not  raise  Treves 
The  sm>le  had  wholly  faded,  and  she  bit  her  ifpL  the 
effort  to  mamtan;  her  self-control  ^ 

Im  not  going  to  talk  about  Muir."  he  went  on 

eyes^  ht" brechtjj'"  '''  ^™^'-''-  '^^""^  ''- 
"  There,  there,  my  dear.     Ifs  all  over.     That's  the 
231 


The  Steps   of  Honor 

last  thing  1  shall  say  about  him.    As  if  it  wasn't  weak- 

explTeT  'V  ^TI  ""^"  *°  '=°»^«^  Ws  crimland 
expiate  >t-when   I  dare  say,  there  wouldn't  have 

thin  T""  °,!fl°^  ^''  ^'^''"  ''-^'''  Sone  down  further 
than  I  could  have  supposed.     I'll  not  tell  you  aW 

In  snZ'nJV''°"  f  2"'^  '"^''^  ^^^  heart  "Iche" 
In  sprte  of  herself  she  could  not  keep  out  of  her  eyes 

and  features  an  expression  of  silent  questioning   ^ 
There  was  a  boy  in  college  last  year,"  the  old  man 

pursued-"a  very  bad  boy.     He'd  stoln  moneyed 

to  aton  ^^^';  ^^'  ^^^  ^''  ^^^^^  ^"d  brought  Wm 
to  a  onement.  That  man  seems  to  have  had  aton^ 
ment  on  the  bram  Well,  we  got  the  boy  off  ;^th- 
out  the  impnsonmeiit  he  deserved.     He  disaooe^eH 

lan°tr.' V""  '""''J'  «'''  '  J""  ^^  errand  bo^'^Tn  It 
lantic  Avenue.     What  do  you  think  our  Mr.  Mu  r 
does   the  mmute  he  leaves  Harvard  himself?    WeU 
I  d  better  not  tell  you.     Better  throw  over  the  whrfe 
busmess  the  cloak  of  charity."  ^ 

;;  You  can  tell  me-now."  Agatha  gasped. 

Wicked  ^o7'     ^°"  "  ''""""^  '*■  ^'^  ^t'-^g'^t  to  that 
wicked  boy,  associates  with  him.  lives  in  the  same 

house  with  him,  teaches  him  French  and  Heaven  on"v 

knows  what  else,  and  enables  this  fellow-who'd  aU 

ready  stolen  money,  mind  you-to  pick  uo  lat  »„h 

get  a  better  position.    So  tlday  the  e's  myfo^d Vof 

head  up  and  smoking  his  cigarettes  at  ten  cents  a 

Sutr*  ww'^  "^'^  ''^'''''''^  cumTaudTkl 

'  ■  T?  r   ,,  ^^^^  ^°  y°"  t''"""k  of  that,  now  ?" 

If  the  boy  was  sorry -and  was  worthy-"  she 

began  to  stammer.  ^  "* 

"That's  neither  here  nor  there.     The  point  is  in 

232 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

IJe^  extent  to  which  Muir  has  lowered  his  own  dig- 

"Tf  L»°k'*  ''"''^  see  that,"  she  said,  with  difficulty. 

If  the  boy  was  worth  saving  it  seems  to  me  it  mieht 
have  been  a  fine  thing—"  ^  * 

"Oh,  but  he's  done  worse  than  that,"  the  professor 
exclaimed  in  a  large  tone.  "You  have  no  idea! 
You  ought  to  hear  Persis  talk  about  him  There 
never  was  any  one  so  right  as  you  were.  The  man 
seems  to  have  forgotten  himself  entirely.  Y^u'd 
hardly  be heve  ,t.     He  hasn't  made  the  least  attempt 

the  most  modest  way-a  humble  way'  you  mieht 
even  say-and  what  do  you  think  he  d^es?" 

roga^iin  ^""'"^  °"'-''  ^°°^  ''"  unspoken  inter- 

.  "He  —  coaches  —  young  -  people  -  for  -  noth- 
ing, he  said,  with  slow  emphasis,  marking  off  each 
word  by  a  tap  on  the  arm  of  his  chair.  "He's  got 
round  h.m  a  lot  of  lads  and  girls  of  quite-quitf- 
what  shall  I  say.?-quite  modest,  not  to  say  subordi- 
nate station  m  Ufe-and  he  makes  them  study  with 
him.  Can  you  think  of  it?  The  brilliant  Anthony 
Mmr!-now  debasing  his  intellect  to  the  service  of 
quite-quite— simple  people,  and  doing  it  for  noth- 

sa^!  tt'u'Sr'*  '  ''°""  ""  **  '^'"'"« '"  ^"^ 

■'What  other  word  would  you  apply?" 
livi^"""^""^"^  suppose  he  does  something  for  a 

In  spite  of  all  her  efforts  she  could  not  stifle  her  in- 
terest, now  that  she  had  begun  to  speak  of  him. 
'33 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

beli'L^^'iT'"  *''*  Pwf^sor  said,  indifferently-"  I 
believe  he  has  some  small  means-a  mere  trifle      R„ 

could  have  been  so  weak,  but  thevVe  done  it      T 

away  she  no  longer  had  that  air  of  perfect  splf^nm 
mand  which  had  been  so  marked  wh^n  she  cS; 


XXI 

PS  Agatha  walked  homeward,  one  of  the 

^d^r°'l  '""*""'="''   '•^'"^•"«d  espe- 
cially .n  her  mind.     "You  ought  to 

hear  Persis  talk  about  him."    Then 

>»!?«  »«7  what  she  did  not  know. 

taken  rul^yX'^^  S^Ld^lt  ^  ?„<» 

l^ke  Persis.  she  reflected  further,  to  be  vin^ctive 

Jot  kn"  w  "t:r-r ^  "^'■^^  """t'-.  Which  fhedTd 
not  know.  Well.  ,t  made  no  diflference.  It  was 
nothing  to  her.  She  would  not  think  about  it  Tn' 
more     Jt  was  the  plan  she  had  followed  duri^  the 

won^r,"""  ^'^'^  "°"*''^-  ^«d  ^he  had  acqu"r^ed  a 
wonderful  command  over  her  thoughts     At  firJt  T,» 
mind  could  dwell  on  nothing  but  him      o^  " 

waking,  alone  or  in  socil^'he^Jbeen'Sf  to 

?or™*irShe  k'^  ""f  '^^"'^^^'^  himTshee 
lorce  ot  will.     She  knew  he  was  not  gone,  but  at 

335 


The   Step*  of  Honor 


least  he  WM  farther  off.  She  kn«»  i  i 
dead,  but  at  least  it  was  d„llT  I'  '°^*  ""  »«>* 
Shehadconqueredit  irh!^  1  **  ^^  »  "««otic. 
itr  she  reaso)^ed_'if  i  ^rL'""''"''*^  ''"=  "«'<1 
months,  what  mav  I  not  h7^    .  "  ""  "'"=''  '"  five 

forty  and  in  the  ye^a^  that  tw*:"  '"f  ^r"*^  ""^ 
come  when  I  shall  b^  frll  Lr^T  "*'  ^  *'■"«  **« 
sion  and  the  name  of  Anthon  u ''."  '»?'"«hy  obses- 
as  the  wind  sti;^yst  y^lSaveT"'""  "''  ""^  ""'^ 
ItwrnreveS'iS'r''"*^^"^''"^^'^-^- 

the  depths  of  sulrin^rol^SloTwr''^''"'  °"*  °^ 
such  a  victory  over  iJn  VZ  ^^"^  *°  ''''»'''>« 
her.  but  she^ulllo  ir'shi  ^/u  '  ^^^  "^^^  ^o' 
be  borne  for  the  moment  t  th?.^^'"  ^"'^  ''«''  *° 
and  a  fuller  realiz^?"„^of  Lth  ''"^"'^  *''"*  *''"'' 
"'ould  give  her  peace  Anthony  Muir's  baseness 

thifk'thX'^nt  wt?r  L  i*  r^  -^^  «-^  to 

near  could  have  l^dt  h^    Helad'r"?^  'l  ^""^  ^ 
ing  her  straight  in  the  eyes   and  t     '**°  ^''-  '°°''- 
would  take  his  word  aeaiTst;.,  *    ,  .°'""«^  *''^*  «he 
If  it  had  been  anyS  w*^*  °/  *''«  ^h°'e  world, 
forgiven  a moreSoss  a merp.^'"*".   ^J"'  ""'^^'^  »>«ve 
deflection  of  theCral  nTtu '     v*"?'  °'^"""*=  ^"^  "^at 
for  a  man  to  lie  s^  could  'rf""'^  ""^^^  "  P°«^We 
one  thing  for  whfch  she  reslSd  v     '''''''  "''  ^"* 
sion  he  had  made  ncLT^^  '""= '°  '^s  ^onfes- 
He  had  dropped  Hke  a  bir^i"?;;  ^''^'^  ^°^  P^don. 
of  sight.     Tifat  wa^'we   t„:    *;d7't"''^°''^°"* 
course  was  to  sail  on  and  forget  Um^'  '^'  '""^  ""'^^ 

No,  she  could  not  forget  him-  T!' 
-.ized  that  now,  as  fhl  SUd^  ^0^  ^m   S^r^ 
236 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


niember  with  indkrenc^^twl!'''  ^°  ^''^  '°  «" 
difference  which  we  rive  ttTh!^!     ^vf  '"t^'^sted  i„- 
once  been  intimate  and  for  whl'"*''  ^'°'"  ^"^  ''^^« 
We  like  to  hear  about  them  «n^,  V"*  "°  '°"^«'^- 
developments  have  come  ^^Vo*!  *°  "f."""  '"'«»  "^'^ 
do  not  affect  us  any  mo^e     Sh.      ''  "^""^  ''«  t^ey 
to  shrink  from  hearing  his  nam.  T  '^"^'  P^'haps. 
ynwilling  to  leam  what  he  IT^'J^!  Tf  """u"^  '°  ^« 
into  which  he  had  gone  do^^  h     ^'     " '"  *''<'  ^'^^P^' 
?he  had  magnanimhy  entuTh  to  be'  T.  ^'.°"''  '°''*- 
«s.  with  the  mingling  of  pHy  a,  d  Hi^J'"^~«'"'^'  '^^' 

;Jn:rrsa--'--^-Sot\rr^ 

perhaps  not  strong  enoug"ther'' ''^'°"'' *«'« 
but  there  were  others   Th'  ^  ^^'^  °°  °thers; 

every  one  who  cared  for  her  a.^T^^t  '"""''^  ?'"«« 

Theyhadallbeensogo^d  toheri     M  ''''^'?/''^  '^'^■ 
ton  and  Cousin  AbbvlnH  M        J^'"-^"''**"'W°"as- 

rest  of  their  little  clde      S^^l  ^m"'*'""  """^  ^"  *"« 
their  sakes.     For  their  sakt"     r"'l"^"y  P^ul  for 
humble  herself  and  make  him  iu°,:'      I  """"'^  *^  *° 
WoUaston  described      sLtT  ^     u'"^''  ^  ^^''  ^=  Mr. 
tried;  and  perhaps  after  all  plf^'T"^  ^°  '*  '^  ^^e 
flexible  in  marriL  as  h?  1'       I  ^^^^  °°*  ^  '°  '"- 
would  do  it,  in  any  case     ShT.  .'"  '"'"'^^'^P-     ^he 
hut  the  dear  friends  ™h     ^f  T  °°«  *°  think  of 
her  life.     She  S  af  w  ?,  '  ^^^  ^^  ^°^^^  her  all 
as  for  others      £  'LTd  he?"  .'1  ''""^'^  '°^  ^^em 
spiritual  fatigue  of  thSn^-et^lr^^^^^^^^^^ 


ii: ! 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

ter  herself  it  seemed  good  to  creep  into  any  Idnd  of 
haven  where  there  was  a  chance  of  rest 
She  was  unusually  gracious  to  him.  therefore  when 

f  wasT^e'lhlt'h'"''"  °!,  'H"  "'~*^«  that  ev^rS 
It  was  true  that  he  seemed  shorter  than  ever  betwe«i 
two  tall  women  like  Cousin  Abby  and  he«eU  b^Hh^ 
knew  wves  who  were  taller  than  their  husbands  and 

Tt  wa?rh' "'"'"^'^IT-  r'"  "«'"««»  ^'h  thS  lots 
It  was  the  same  with  the  cast  in  his  eye-one  eot 
used  to  >t  and  liked  him  the  better  for^  hT^fn/u 
These  were  tnfles.  she  said,  that  should  never  dTsfuib 

Between  the  acts  she  had  further  reason  to  think  thfy 
might  have  exaggerated  the  severity  of  his  temS 
ment.  He  was  actually  more  merciful  than  she  in  Ws 
judgment  on  Mrs.  Dane  and  her  defence.  Or^^an> 
•t  was  the  reverse  when  moral  problems  came  up"or 
discussion  between  them.  It  was  not  the  moment 
to  go  into  the  subject  then;  so  she  said  "We  must 
have  that  out  another  time  " 

wi!JL''*T''^  ^°"i^  '''*''  *''•'"  ^«>'n  the  play  and 
wished  them  good-night  at  the  door  ^ 

n„i  ^        f^  "^^  *°  ^^  y""  «Kai"?"  Miss  Leggett  in- 
qtured.  as  he  was  going.     She  had  observed  fce"lin 
change  ,n  Agatha's  manner  towards  him.  and  s"e 
ta^u"  ""''  ""^  "'■''""  °°*  *°  ^°"°-  the  advfn! 
"Why  can't  you  come  and  lunch  with  us  to  mnr 
row."  Agatha  asked;  "and  afterwards  we  could  ;neo 
"t  c'/n  ■- h"  *''  '''*!l''"°"  °'  Shannon  portra  s  '' 
n,or;oraftet:r"^''-     "^•— -tureLt  all  to- 
"He  means  it  this  time."  Miss  Leggett  said  to  her- 
'3» 


The   Step,   of  Honor 


It  will  be 


When,    therefaro     .k. 

Agatha  wa,  gong  lowearTrhT  T™'"*  '^at 
quietly  took  her  o  Jn  bTnnet  „ff  '  "'  '""''«'°"  »he 
the  opportunity  of  wy^  when  th^"'"-  ^'  ^'^^  ^er 
passed.  -None  for  me  "hants     VU  '°1'"  ''"^  '^'"« 

propos:!;t!trhThrr£rti"f°'''™^^^ 

«n  original  and  charactrriftri     "•"''^  *°  '^°  *Wngs 
none  the  worse  on  thatT....   T^V  '""'  P^^haps. 

head  of  the  table!  St  rtLTercoffe  ^*^""'"  ^"*  "^^  ''e 
Dunster,  equally  at  iS "Le  s-t   r;,''"'*^  ^*  ^^^  ease, 
cigarette.     The  maid  in  h;r       V 'i"  '*''"  *"d  "»  his 
white  apron  placed  rte  LA  "''*  '""'=''  K°'^"  ""d 
slipped  from%he  rcZ'^  The  ,T"''  ""'''^  "'•"  »"d 
ed  richly  on  the  ma^ho^nv  surf,^"^  ^T^'"'  «'««"- 
.shed  ChippendalelsS  Kri^!,?  *'•^'••i?'>ly  pol- 
from  Agatha's  great-^an^fi!!,^""'' *" '"''"Stance 
carefullj  -prXl  ^^Se ''In  The  ''V"'  °^  '» 
were  catkins  on  the  willows  a„d  rL      ^. ''''*"•  ^^^^^ 
and  a  general  sense  Tfrnrn^dT."''"  '"  \^''  ^"^' 
and  delightful  plans  ""'"  °'*'^°g  new 

AgX's°a'!d"con:rnS Te, ""'"'''  Pre..nc.tion." 

Play/'IshouldtwTyoVcouSrorcr''l,*"'^^^^^^ 
arguments  in  favor  of  Mr  Mui?.?""'*'''"^"^^'^""^ 

S>he  brought  out  the  name  boldlv  Si,  ^-^ 
deliberate  forethought  •  for  thp«  '  ^^  ^^  '°  ''"'h 
jects  that  must  be  faced  befn  Z"'  ''^^•"  '^^^ 
affirmativeanswertothelestionwt\'=°u'''  ^^'  ^" 
-  hovering  on  Paul.  S^^SS^:,--- 
339 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

no  surprise.  He  had  been  warned  some  time  agoT>y 
Persis  that  Agatha  might,  one  day,  like  to  talk  to  him 
about  Muir.  "  She'll  have  to  speak  of  him  sooner  or 
later,"  Persis  had  reasoned.  "She  wouldn't  be  a 
woman  if  she  didn't.  If  so,  it  will  probably  be  to  you 
or  me;  and  if  it's  to  you,  you  mustn't  put  on  airs  of 
solemnity  or  make  her  think  it's  a  painful  topic.  You 
must  answer  just  as  casually  as  if  she  were  speaking 
of  Cousin  Abby  or  Cousin  Mary."  Startled  though 
he  was,  Dunster  did  his  best  to  follow  those  instruc- 
tions now. 

"  I  don't  excuse  Mrs.  Dane,"  he  said,  as  calmly  as 
he  could.  "  I  say  only  that  I've  a  lot  of  sympathy 
for  any  poor  wretch  entangled  in  a  net  which  is  partly 
woven  by  himself  and  partly  flung  around  him  by  the 
Fates." 

"You  say  that,  probably,  because  Mrs.  Dane  was  a 
woman.     If  it  were  a  man  who  had — " 

"I  should  feel  the  same.  In  any  such  system  of 
lying  it's  often  difficult  to  determine  how  much  is 
moral  obliquity  and  how  much  the  mere  splashing  of 
the  drowning  creature  to  save  itself.  Persis  thinks 
that  when  we  see  a  fellow  -  creature  sinking  —  from 
whatever  cause— we  should  run  to  him  with  a  rope. 
I'm  not  sure  that  I  go  as  far  as  that  myself,  but  at 
least  I'd  like  to  refrain  from  throwing  stones  at  him 
while  he's  going  down." 

"Isn't  that  something  new  with  you?" 

"  I  don't  know  whether  it's  new  or  only  undiscov- 
ered. Persis  thinks  it's  the  latter.  She  says  I'm  like 
an  apple— sour  in  the  early  stages,  but  capable  of  mel- 
lowing tendencies  as  time  goes  on." 

"That's  rather  a  fine  trait  of  character,"  Agatha 
240 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

she  could  listen  to  it  there  niust  be  no  reserve  be^wf ' 
them  as  to  her  own  attitude  towards  Mu^  ^^''^'^^ 

ther:^rn'^:srasL^".?ar°^^ 

I  suppose  we  couldn't,  but  we  could  try." 
"S,T  »n,p.r„„,  „  both  oaMdf  £,  ^^'i; 

» iT^." "  err*":'  ■"'*•  •^"'^'o 

That  sounds  rather  odd,  coming  from  you." 
Oh,  I!    he  laughed.    "I'm  just  beginning  to  leam 
241 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

that  it's  the  man  who  beats  his  breast  and  doesii't 
dare  to  hft  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven  who 
goes  down  to  his  house  justified,  rather  than  he  who 
fasts  twice  m  the  week  and  gives  tithes  of  all  that  he 
poss^es.  It  seems  an  obvious  moral  to  draw,  and 
yet,  I  m  afraid,  I'm  only  beginning  to  take  it  in  " 

Agatha  was  not  sure  of  what  he  meant,  but  she 
thought  It  a  good  opportunity  to  bring  Muir's  name 
more  plamly  under  discussion. 

"Do  I  understand,"  she  asked,  "that  you  would 
make  excuses  for  people  like  Mrs.  Dane  and-and  Mr 
Muir? 

"I  think,"  he  sa(id,  balancing  his  spoon  on  the  edge 
of  his  coffee-cup  and  looking  at  it  critically  with  his 
head  on  one  side-"  I  think  I  could  best  explain  what 
in"  w  '/  ,  *°^'^  y°"  ^°™ething.  It's  something 
which  I  feel  you  ought  to  know.  It  isn't  to  my 
credit,  but  if—"  ' 

He  broke  off  suddenly.  He  was  going  to  say,  "if 
we  are  going  to  be  nearer  to  each  other,"  but  he  real- 
ized in  time  that  there  was  no  assurance  of  that  as 
yet. 

,.  "i*>  something  you  ought  to  know,"  he  repeated, 
and  It  will  be  a  relief  to  my  mind  to  tell  you     I 
played  a  certain  part  in  Muir's  trouble,  and  I'm  sorry 
tor  It.     I  ve  learned  from  it  how  much  I'm  morally 
inferior,  in  many  ways,  to  Muir  himself.' 
"Oh,  but,  Paul!"  she  protested. 
"Muir  and  I,"  he  pursued,  "  are  of  about  the  same 
age.     We  were  at  the  same  school,  we  were  in  the 
same  class  ,n  college,  we  took  the  same  courses,  and 
we  adopted  the  same  careers.     But  Muir  was  always 
ahead  of  me.    I  believed  I  had  better  qualities  than 
343 


The    Steps   of   Honor 


from  the  pTl^^Yon^rZ'"T  ''^'^  "^"^  ^«"  dead 
j_„         Pess.     >fou  promised  to  marry  him,  while 

Again  he  stopped.     "While  T    ™i,„  i       ^ 
were  the  words  on  his  ton^e  but  it  w    '°^f''  y°"." 
ment  to  utter  them     Awt A,  ^'  "°*  ^'^  "no- 

waited.  '*^^*''^  expected  them  and 

hated'^;?f^t''i:rir  ^<!f^°-  "^  ^^-^^^  ^ 

come  to  analy^  mv  ^^^  antipathy;  but,  since  I've 
hated  him  from  s"Jer  ^^1^'  /'"'  '""""^  "^^^  ^ 
which  I  couldn't  achTev""  ^^*'°"'y  "^  *  ^"'=««' 

sal^;h^^^:^S'iiC-^''*^-''yt'>^s."she 

all  P-£oThT^'know"'"-'l'=«'«'y-     "^-'  of 
just  at  the  tS  of%o  °  -  '  ^  ^  ^'"^     ^^»'  ''  '^as 
ft  Possessio^V  Js Te'efnTi  *.°  ^."^^  ^''^^  ^ 
Love's  old  book  among  X  of  rlLT  Christopher 
for  years  past.     I  can't  MI     ^    /'''  °"  ^^  shelves 
into  my  pLessfon.    Vjredtfo  ft""  'T"  '^^^ 
cident,  and  then  I  saw  thft  if  "  VVl?^  ^^^  ^^  '^■ 
I  decided  then  and   We  5o  b^Z  v^"*  ^''"  "^""^  '»• 
tag  so  I  ascribed  to  my7elf  aU  ?h.  ."  r""""''     ^°  "^o- 
Ples  for  Which,  I  thinw'^'^u'i*,';? "f  ™°-' Princi- 
give  me  credit.     In  realitv  T  »      J^  *       "^  ^"^°ds 
smallest  promoting  nf    ^        ^  '^°'"S  '*  f«>m  the 
the  very'nTgTwb^„°t;"!^"7^««d  -venge.     On 

Wollasto„s',andyo!rrenga~  w*°^'*'^'  "*  ^''^ 
attacked  Muir  at  the  tahT ^  v        ^^  announced,  I 
rat  the  table.    You  ought  to  remember 
»43 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


had  sympathy  with  hJm  „--u  should  have 

stood  by  him-^^       "''  P^'^^P"  "^«>  I  should  have 
"Oh!" 

shZd'grLTer'pTufk'thanL''"^''^"*'    '^''^   ^«»- 

winter.  I've  felt  it  „,„«    '  r       ^^  ''"'*•  *''™''gh  the 
fall,  .hon  ifa^rU^e^-^."  see  that  I've 
in.  SL^ily""  "^'"^  *'"'*  y-  "'-«  -e."  she  broke 
;'rm  not  speaking  of  any  one  but  myself." 

"^Ityr-ho;^^"'"'''''^'^^'"^'^'^^ 

yonmnTlf^^^^r^y  °^  ^"'•^'^  you  speak,  do 

whVj:r„K^rr '° "-  '"^""--  --^  ^^^  ^poke 

self"""  °°*  P^"'^  ^'"•^«'»««t  °»  any  one  but  my- 
144 


The  Steps  of  Honor 


wise  than  a»  I  acted?'  *  *'^*^*^  °**'«'- 

^^He  looked  at  her  silently  and  there  was  a  long 

^•l  don't  see  why  I  should  answer  that,"  he  said,  at 

"But  I  insist,  Paul     it'o  nf  »»,. 
quence  to  us  both  for  «e  to  know ''   ''"'*"*  «'"^^- 

Again  there  was  a  pause 

bluntest  'Si^k  thTc ouS? '■  ^*'  ?--*-tic 

"What  sort  of  womr?    A  r  °*'^«^^i««-" 

better  woman?    A  Z~         .  ^^^  ''°™*°-'    A 

of  womanToyouirnf"    ''''  ^"'"""^    ^''^  ''o^ 

would  any  woman  ever  have  done  it  ?••  ci,«     •  j 
eager  to  justify  herself         "^^^^oneit?    sheened, 

qm'etly'^"''  '  "^"^  °°^  ""^^  -°-W."  he  answered. 

inc2roully^'''''°"''="™^°"*''^«''»PeriousIy.half 
"Persis  Wollaston." 

scoriU^i''^'^''  "  '"  ^'^'^  ^"^  ""-"^  -  «"•«. 

bin^'S^IS^-^^"''    P---neofthemost 
"I'm  sure  you're  wrong." 
Mr.  Wollaston  himself  told  me  so." 

245 


The   Steps   of   Honor 

JS  of  h!}*/""'  T**  *°  ^'^  ^'^  «««  than  all  the 
rest  of  his  former  friends  put  together.  YouVe  no 
conception  of  what  a  splendid,  fJthful,  noble  we^t! 
ore  she  ,s.  You  think  her  hght-minded  perhapfbut 
Stle  L'd  ""s^"  ""Ti  °'  '^'  -ri-snessTn  52 

Z^J^u-  ,h« '^e"*  on.  breathlessly.  "You  don^ 
toow  what  she  s  been  to  Muir  this  ^nter.  She  has 
not  only  kept  his  heart  from  breaking,  she  h^^v^ 
him  from  blowing  out  his  brains.  She's  given  Wm 
something  to  hold  by  and  beUeve  in.    W^  X> 

ZZtu""  ''•  ''K'  ''^8^'^°«  *°  «=««"  up  out  of 
mfuT  ",  "^f^  " '  ^y  ^^^  «^^P  °f  her  steady  loya^ 

is  sf  fs  that  V*''  ^^  ^'"^  »^-  "'^  -  ^S 
I.fl-  I  ^*  ^  ''''  '=°°'''  *°  *««  ^hat  I  am-  It's  in 
wa  clung  her  sympathy  for  a  ruined  man  that  I've 

?^!f  '"^^'^  hypocritical  vindictiveness.Xthr 

LTihin^'"'"*^^'^'''''-  I'm  sure  you^'^S 
to  worship  the  very  ground  she—" 

Dunster  stopped,  startled  by  the  flow  of  his  own 

"^ITX  "'  r"''^'^  "''^*  he  had  be4  sly?r 
and  how  he  would  ever  get  back  to  the  proposd^hat 
had  be«,  so  often  on  his  tongue.    Agatha  looked  at 

^e^iTdn'  :r"  '^  ''^^^-^  *°  ^ '^VetsS  fn 
fh^  ^H  *  1,  7*^  '°  '*^*"S«-  «°  contrary  to  all  that 
??he  IrM'^  ^f  ^r '='*  '^^'^«^°-  thatit  seemed  L 
«ve's^  motfo^""  '"i5^  r  """^  *°  «°  "'""d  with  a 
rnrnH  !;  ^  .  ^'"^  '''^"^^  ''"^  awkward,  and  her 
mind  groped  confusedly  for  something  to  say  Be- 
fore she  had  found  it  there  was  a  loud  siSficant 
cough  at  the  door.  There  followed  a  fewl^ond,' 
Tv^'r  ir '"  ""''^  '--^'  *^«  '-"^  -^-e 
246 


I  the 
e  no 
■eat- 
but 
her 
Sod 
on't 
has 
ved 

ake 
:of 
yal 
ing 


The   Steps   of   Honor 

"  Weli'wlv  '^'""rl!^:  '"  her  lordly  tone. 
she^?b::s?erre^'^«^''^^^'^'^''-«'y. 
th^t'if  wa/tf r*.'""^  committed  herself  to  the  belief 


while 


ve 

int 


vn 

>g> 
at 
at 
in 
at 
as 
a 
sr 

B- 
It 

s' 

le 


XXII 


fGATHA  paid  little  attention  to  the 
T  Shannon  portraits  that  afternoon.    As 
I  she  moved  from  one  fair  face  to  an- 
I  other,  making  hap-hazard  comments, 
[  her  mind  was  busily  occupied  in  the 
effort  to  penetrate  the  mist  of  ideas 
gathering  round  her.   Where  she  had  thought  the  path 
of  duty  lay  clear  before  her  it  seemed  to  lose  itself 
suddenly  in  fog.    What  did  Paul  mean.?    Did  he  love 
her?    Did  he  even  respect  her?    Was  he  going,  after 
all.  to  ask  her  to  marry  him?    She  had  considered 
herself  so  long  the  perfect  woman  in  his  eyes  that  it 
caused  her  a  strange  discomfort  to  think  otherwise, 
fts  had  been  the  doglike  fideUty  on  which  a  woman 
who  has  suffered  likes  to  fall  back  when  other  sup- 
ports have  failed  her.     She  had  never  supposed  for  a 
naoment  that  when  she  turned  to  it,  it  would  not  be 
there.    She  had  never  dreamed  that  he  could  criticise 
her  or  take  his  absolute  approval  back.    She  had 
counted  so  much  on  his  devotion  that  she  had  hardly 
^ven  It  Its  proper  value.    To  have  to  think  now  that 
she  had  been  mistaken  put  all  her  mental  processes 
out  of  joint. 

With  regard  to  Muir  she  was  even  more  bewildered 
It  had  never  occurrrri  to  her  that  she  could  have 
adopted  any  other  line  than  that  which  she  had  fol- 
348 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


J«^  Anthony  M*  £X  hS^iS  SS" 

but  from  blowing  his  brains  out.    If  he  wL  Himwr' 

u"ke  ^h^    ^h   '.^T*''"*  *°  •'*'««"  'hat  she  diVnot 
like  them.    She  had  an  unreasonable  feelin.,  tw 

Z^a'^I  ""^^^^-^  ^"-    They  had  keS  n^oS 
W  o^„f°"\"'^'"-^.'^  "^""^  ^'^'^  •'y  stealth  ^d£ 

from  his  ruin,  like  Lazarus  from  the^ave  and  ow« 
nothing  whatever  to  her     She  hZ  ^  ^^ 

plated  the  possibiUty  of^Hs  betg  safed?^^  Z\Z 
the  chance  of  it  loomed  up  before  her  it  „„ »  ,  f 

ing  thought  that  the  insSLt  ^f  r'alvX 
should  be  any  other  woman  than  herself  '^'*'°° 

Si^;^S^:aS;rrSl-^£ 

249 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

up  Md  admired  it.  too,  she  declared  that  she  thought 
It  hideous.    She  couldn't  lee  how  any  one  with  taste 
could  find  It  otherwise.    Cousin  Abby  called  on  Dun- 
ster  to  endorse  her  opinion.    Dunster,  who  had  seemed 
to  be  m  the  clouds  ever  since  luncheon,  confessed  him- 
self no  judge  of  pictures.    "  What  on  earth  is  the  use 
of  people  coming  to  see  a  collection  of  portraits  if  they 
can  t  judge  of  pictures?"  Agatha  asked,  and  moved 
on  to  another.    Dunster  and  Miss  Leggett  exchanged 
glances  and  followed. 
^'It's  your  fault,"  Cousin  Abby  whispered. 
".^^^^    ^  haven't  done  anything."  he  protested. 
That's  just  it.    I've  no  patience  with  you."  she 
retorted,  raising  her  nose  with  Juno-like  scorn. 

Dunster  put  them  into  the  carriage  and  they  drove 
home  in  silence.  Later  they  dined  in  silence.  Agatha 
thus  had  time  to  think.  Her  irriution  passed  and  her 
sense  of  justice  returned.  She  acquitted  Paul  and 
Cousin  Abby  of  any  deUberate  intention  to  injure  her 
and  she  admitted  that  even  Persis  might  not  have 
been  aware  that  she  was  "doing  any  harm."  After 
dinner  she  did  not  take  her  work,  but  roamed  rest- 
lessly  about  the  house.  It  was  ah-eady  late  when  she 
came  into  the  library  where  Miss  Leggett.  deep  in  her 
arm-chair,  was  gleaning  the  last  morseU  of  informa- 
tion from  the  evening  paper. 

Agatha  sat  down  at  the  large  central  table,  slightly 
behind  Miss  Leggett  and  in  a  position  where  she 
could  not  easily  be  seen.  She  was  still  meditating- 
and  though  she  began  arranging  the  various  small 
objects  before  her,  it  was  from  that  instinctive  use 
of  the  hands  which  often  helps  to  concentrate  the 
thoughts. 

350 


The  Steps  of  Honor 

msfeet  if  the  law  of  gravitation  didn't  keep  him  on 

"  He  thinks."  Agatha  went  on,  slowly,  ignorine  the 
mner  meaning  of  the  last  remark-"he  thinks  ?hat  I 
rtight  have  acted  otherwise  last  autumn." 

Last— when?"  Miss  Leggett  cried,  sharply,  wheel- 
ing round  in  her  chair.  ^ 

"Last   autumn  — about  Mr.  Muir "  Aeatha   » 

mn^;^,\^Tf.r^°'  "~""«  '"*°  »•«  ^hL-     "He 
thinks  that  if  I'd  stood  by  him— "' 

rJ„3\  •'"t-  «y  dear,  only  a  very  superior  woman 

Siettr  T"  *^K  ^«"'"'  '^°'=«1.  and  Miss 
I*ggett  saw  her  mistake.  "Not  that  you  wouldn't 
IaT^.^  anything,"  she  corrected,  "only-only 
It  doesn  t  seem  quite  your  style." 

..w**","*"*"  *****  '*  *«°'*  ™y  style  to  be  loyal." 
No,  I  don't."  •' 

•'  Yes,  you  do,  Cousin  Abby.    You  think  I've  only 

..  i  "*  "*  *°  "*  *  fair-weather  friend." 

no  J-'a^^T'"  ''^*'  '"'*''  ""*  y°"  ^'""PnK  this  up 
now?  Miss  Leggett  asked,  in  not  unreasonable  as- 
tonishment.    "Surely  youre  not  thinking-" 

nt  .„  ;u-  *^"t?  ^^^^ '"'  ^'^^'^y-  "I'm  not  thinking 
of  anything.  I'm  just  wondering.  Naturally.  1  can't 
help  asking  myself  sometimes  if  I  did  quite  right  " 
__  you  did  what  you  were  quite  justified  in  doin?  " 
But  IS  It  enough  to  be  only  justified?  Mayn't 
there  be  somethmg  more?" 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

"  My  d«M  you  might  as  well  ask  if  it's  enough  only 
to  get  into  heaven.  No  doubt  thew  may  be  some- 
tning  more,  but  that's  very  good  as  it  is." 

"But  you  said  yourself  that  a  very  superior  worn- 

"Oh.  well,  I  meant  a  woman  who  has  nothing  else 
to  do  but  be  superior.  Don't  take  offence  at  that 
You  re  superior  enough,  Heaven  only  knows.  I  don't 
know  how  we  should  live  with  you  if  you  were  any 
more  so."  ' 

"Still,  you  meant — " 

"Now,  don't  go  telling  me  what  I  meant.  Youll 
allow  me  to  know  that  better  than  you." 

''You  meant."  Agatha  persisted,  "that  a  woman  of 
higher  type  thaU  I  would  have  forgotten  herself  for 
the  sake  of  the  man  whose  Ufe  she  had  promised  to 
share,  whatever  it  might  turn  out  to  be." 

"If  I  meant  anything  at  all,"  Cousin  Abby  said 
impatiently,  "I  meant  a  woman  like  Hester  Symes' 
Who  mamed  that  dreadful  bank  president— Cox  I 
think  his  name  was.  She  was  engaged  to  him  befw 
the  thing  happened,  and  she  waited  till  he  came  out 
of  prison.  Then  she  married  him." 
"And  did  she— help  him?" 

^ZVnT"  "*!:!  ^"^^^  "'"•  '^"  *•»  8°«1  that  ever 
came  to  him  after  that  he  owed  to  her.  But  my 
dear,  she  wasn't  a  bit  like  you.    She  was  a  plain  gir^ 

"1"?,  **y'«',^'«l  J^'^dly  ever  asked  anywhere." 
Still,  she  did  it." 

tor^\lT'  ^^T  ^^  'I'  '"'^  everybody  respected  her 
for  It.  but,  as  r  say.  she  had  nothing  else  to  do.  It's 
different  with  you.  who  have  so  much  to  keep  up 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

"But  couldn't  I  keep  up  and  do  that,  too?" 

Sm  .V -•     V""  u  ''°™»"  '*°*»  "hat  Hester  Syme. 
did,  .he  ,  got  to  choo«i  between  staying  up  and  going 

"Why?"  Agatha  asked,  blankly. 

has  lost  his  footing,  so  to  speak,  no  »■  n,„.    ^^aT- 
•tore  him.    She  can  go  to  him  and  si- ..    i  ,  i  t    s,„- 
can  never  bring  him  to  share  hers  " 
"I  don't  see  that-"  Agatha  be;<an  i,    .nn,^ 
You  d  see  it  if  you  tried  it,"  Co..  iu  A!.  ,v  .    u  -.- J 
her.       It  isn't  possible  that  it  sh.Mld  bt  .  tl    r.vi^-e 
Everybody  respected  Hester  Symes,  u^  V . .  si.i  i  b  it 
they  didn  t  ask  him  and  her  to  dinner.    The-  ,JMi 
ask  them  to  anything.     They  just  respected  iv-r  and 
let  tnem  be. 

"Does  that  seem  right?"  Agatha  asked,  with  a 
touch  of  indignation. 

"  It  mayn't  be  right  in  strict  evangeUcal  theory,  but 
It  s  right  enough  in  ordinary  mundane  practice.  What 
else  could  even  their  best  friends  do?  Nobody  could 
forget  that  he'd  speculated  with  a  bank's  money  and 
ruined  ever  so  many  people.  Of  course  they  couldn't. 
He  might  have  been  the  most  penitent  sinner  ever 
pardoned,  and  yet  public  opinion  wouldn't  and 
couldn't  treat  him  as  if  he  hadn't  sinned  at  all  It 
was  perfectly  splendid  of  Hester  Symes,  but  when 
she  took  him  she  had  to  choose  between  the  rest  of 
the  worid  and  him.  I  don't  mean  to  say  she  didn't 
do  him  a  lot  of  good,  but  it  wasn't  in  her  power  to 
bnng  him  back  to  the  life  he'd  led  before.  What  she 
did  was  to  comfort  him  and  strengthen  him  and  give 
'Si 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

Urn  back  something  of  the  self-confidence  of  a  man 
after  having  been  a  convict.    She  went  down  the  steps 

shAT.y°  °"^*'  *°  ^"'P  ^'^  "P  *8«°:  »>«  «ven^' 
she  could  never,  never  drag  him  to  the  top  " 

That  seems  hard,"  Agatha  said,  with  a  catch  in 
ner  voice. 

••  I  don't  believe  she  found  it  so,"  Cousin  Abby  went 
on.  You  see,  they  became  all  in  all  to  each  other.  I 
cost^her'"  ^  ^"^  *'"'  """*  '"^  *'*''  '^'="fi«  ^^ 

"Could  that  happen?" 

"With  a  woman  like  Hester  Symes  it  could  " 

,0*1,     *  '"m*  '^*i'  *  ''°'"^°  ^^^  '^^-    I  think  you're 
rather  pitiless,  Cousin  Abby." 

iZ^nl'^  n°*  .*^"1°^  ^'^^  y°"'  '"y  '^^'^at  least, 
tr,^„    ;,,  I  •'  *•?  '^*''  ^"^  y°"  *°  t"-^  ab""*  si'ch  a 

l?l         *  **'  '^  y°"  "e  thinking  about  it  " 
her^^n'^*!   y^y '^ 't  t°°  late?"    Agatha  raised 
Md  alatr     *         '°  '^^''^  *'"''*  ''^  ^^^'^  '*^''^^« 

Cousin  Abby  shrugged  her  shoulders,  ..nd  her  ex- 

'■Why  is  it  too  late?"  Agatha  asked  again. 
Because,"  Miss  Leggett  explained,  looking  vague- 
y  off  into  the  shadows  of  the  room-"  becal.se  ^t 
sort  of  generosity  must  show  itself  at  once  or  not 

rloil    *w  °'^"  ""^^  ^»y  P"''^  '=°"1'1  accept  the 
loyalty  that  comes  halting  along  six  months  behind- 

"Oh,  don't!"  Agatha  pleaded. 

JJ^^  *™®'  ^^  ^^^"^^    ^  ''""an  ''ho  makes  such  a 
sacrifice  as  that  mustn't  have  any  doubt  about  it 

'54 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

"But  I  didn't  know  it  was  to  be  done,"  Agatha 
cned  m  a  quavenng  tone,  suggestive  of  ears  "I 
didn  t  know  women  ever  did  such  things.  I  thourtt 
I  had  to  give  him  up  in  order  to  feep  my  sflf 

t'^'"^;       "."ll'l  ^"""^  «°°''  '^°'^  the  steS  o7  hono  " 

too  only  I  didn't  know  there  was  a  way  "  ' 

^d,  I  dare  say,  it's  all  the  better  for  you  that 

S^hf  f  *•  /°'^'"  ^''•'^  ^^'^'  consolinSy    "  ?ou 
might  have  done  something  rash  and  been  sorry  for 

you'd  b'ell'To  v"  *'v^P"  °'  '""^  niomen7tha[ 
rn^^hf  1?  '"'"■  '*^  1">*«  possible  that  you 

might  have  regretted  it  afterwards;  and  what  an  awk 
ward  position  you'd  have  been  in  then.  BeUeTe  me" 
you  re  much  more  comfortable  as  you  are  You  Ve 
got  your  home  and  your  money  and  your  friends  Jd 

I  don  t  beheve  nature  ever  intended  you  to  give  ud 

S  'iTsSnT  ^"V°  P-*  youLlf  fntf  3 
nf  It'-      I     ^^  ''*^°'"^'  '*^  *  question  of  staying  uo 

the^Utfer  "'"'  ""^  '  '""'*  ''''^  ''^"''^  ^'^^  do 

''Not  even  if  it  was  down  the  steps  of  honor  "  the 
girl  said,  mournfully.  ' 

on"  fh°J  t^"  f^^^'  ■^^^*^^-  ^°°'^  ?«*  that  expression 
on  the  brain!  I  just  dropped  it  accidentally  I 
didn  t  suppose  you  were  going  to  seize  on  it  and  turn 

tnal.     You  re  worse  than  a  Browning  Club     You'll 

Itrif""""  '  ^°"^'  ^^  P"*  *«"  '"««««P'  into  them 
when  It  s  very  questionable  if  there's  one  " 

Agatha  sighed  and  leaned  her  face  on  her  hand 

'S5 


The  Steps    of  Honor 

She  could  not  deny  that  Cousin  Abby  had  remark- 
ably clear  views  on  the  subject.  Her  house  and  her 
money  and  her  friends  meant  much  to  her.  "And  I 
should  have  to  go  and  leave  them,"  she  said  to  her- 
self— "  at  least,  I  should  have  to  leave  my  home  and 
friends.  I  could  keep  the  money,  I  suppose.  I  see 
it.  I  couldn't  bring  Anthony  back  into  the  old  life. 
I  should  have  to  go  with  him  and  make  a  new  one; 
but,"  she  added,  with  a  leaping  of  the  heart,  "it  would 
be— yes,  it  would  be— going  down  the  steps  of  honor 
to  help  him  up  again." 

Her  reflections  were  interrupted  by  a  sound  of 
voices  in  the  hall.  Suddenly  the  door  was  thrown 
open  and  Mrs.  Wollaston  with  a  scarf  over  her  head 
tottered  in.  Agatha  and  Cousin  Abby  were  on  their 
feet  in  an  instant. 

"My  dears!"  Mrs.  Wollaston  gasped,  breathlessly. 
" My  dears!" 

"  For  mercy's  sake,  what  is  it?"  Cousin  Abby  cried. 
"What  brings  you  here  so  late?  Where's  Cousin 
Hector?" 

"  He's  at  home,"  Mrs.  Wollaston  panted.  "  I  came 
with  the  cook.  The  most  awful  thing  has  happened. 
I  couldn't  wait  till  morning.  I  knew  you  wouldn't 
sleep  if  you  heard  it,  any  more  than  I  shall." 

"  What  in  tlje  name  Oi  pity  can  it  be?"  Miss  Leggett 
demanded.  "Why  don't  you  tell  us  and  be  done 
with  it?  Is  anything  the  matter  with  Cousin  Hec- 
tor?" 

"No,  no.  It  isn't  that.  Let  me  sit  down.  I'm 
ready  to  faint  away." 

Agatha  pushed  an  arm-chair  forward,  and  Mis. 
Wollaston  dropped  into  it. 

as* 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

J^^^\^  '-'I  "u*°''"  *'  ^'"P"'  ^K"^"'  as  soon  as 
she  could  get  her  breath.     "  It's  Paul.    He's  been  at 
our  house  all  the  evening  acting  like  a  madman 
You  11  never  beheve  it  when   I   tell  you— never 
never.  '  "oyci, 

akk"  *^^°"  ^°°'V*"  ""  "°'''  ^'"  *ake  you."  Cousin 
Abby  threatened,  standing  over  her. 

"Yes,  ru  tell  you.  It  doesn't  seem  to  me  as  if  I 
should  ever  get  my  senses  again.  And  Hector  rives 
me  no  sympathy  whatever.  My  dears.  I  don't  know 
what  you'U  say.    Paul  and  Persis  are-engaged  " 


K 


XXIII 

Agatha  the  new  engagement  was 
[not  so  much  a  disappointment  as  a 
I  shock.     She  had  the  tenacity  of  idea 
[natural  to  a  mind  that  moves  by  slow, 
I  weU- ordered   processes,    and   it   was 
difficult  for  her  at  all  times  to  adapt 
herself  to  new  conceptions.     Though  she  had  reason 
to  guess  at  the  pture  of  Dunster's  feeling  for  Persis 
WoUaston,  she  could  not  discard,  at  a  moment's  notice 
the  long-standing  conviction  that  his  love  was  her 
own.     When  it  was  brought  home  to  her  that  she  was 
wrong.  It  was  not  the  discovery  that  was  painful  but 
the  mental  revolution.     She  was  under  no  illusion 
whatever  as  to  her  own  regard  for  him.     It  was  a  re- 
gard and  nothing  more.     She  had  been  ready  to  mar- 
ry him,  but  only  by  way  of  sacrifice-sacrifice  of  her 
useless  hfe  to  secure  his  happiness  and  please  her 
fnends     She  would  have  put  no  heart  into  it,  because 
she  had  no  heart  to  put  into  anything.     As  to  all  this 
her  mind  was  clear;  but  that  Paul's  happiness  could 
be  secured  elsewhere  was  a  surprise  so  sudden  as  to 
be  veiy  hke  a  blow.     For  a  few  hours  it  seemed  to 
leave  her  more  desolate  than  ever.     It  was  only  as 
her  mind  accustomed  itself  gradually  to  the  new  sit- 
uation that  she  saw  it  to  be  the  best  one.     If  Paul  and 
Persis  loved  each  other,  surely  nothing  could  be  more 
2S8 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

«„H°m"  ^^a  r™. "«  ^^^  ''^t  *°  Pe^is  and  kissed 
and  blessed  her  in  complete  sincerity.     She  shook 

was'tl' ,'''"''*"  "'''  ^^•'^'^  "-  welUn  s«ch°a 
way  as  to  leave  no  suspicion  of  the  thought  that 
twenty-four  hours  before  she  had  expected  liTto  take 
a  .^fferent  turn  for  all  of  them.  If  Le  w  J  o^^c  ^us 
of  a  twmge  m  letting  him  go.  it  was  only  such  a  twinge 

^ne  oThT.  """" '"  ^k""«  *""^  ^  ^«^«' '•>«*  has  befn 
one  of  her  treasures,  but  which  she  cannot  wear.     In 

fact  thlfn'*"^  she  already  felt  a  certain  reUef  in  the 
fact  that  Dunster's  destmy  could  be  worked  out  sep- 
arately from  her.  own.  ^ 
That  relief  grew  stronger  as  the  days  went  by.     In 
wa,"Z  IT  °^  r"*'  '••"  ^"8an  to  perceive  that  she 

^ou^thl  T  f^T'"'  °^  ^"^^^*'°"  '«  their  little 
group  than  she  had  been  hitherto.  It  was  extraordi- 
nary with  what  facility  Cousin  Abby  Leggett  and 
Cousin  Maor  Dunster  and  Cousin  Fanny  Wollastoa 
had  deposed  Agatha  from  her  pedestal  and  put  Persis 
up  on  It.  They  acknowledged  Persis's  supremacy 
with  as  speedy  a  loyalty  as  bees  acknowledge  a  new 
queen.    There  was  no  talk  now  but  of  Pereis's  clothes 

^.H^n^ll'  *^'*"  ?^  ^^^^  *h«  y°"°g  <=°"P1«  would 
need  m  the  way  of  house-Unen.  They  revelled  in 
the  engagement  with  as  much  glee  as  if  it  had  been 

about^  ""^  ^^"^  ^""^  P'^°*^  ^°'  y""^  *°  ^""« 
Agatha  was,  therefore,  left  much  to  the  society  of 
her  own  thoughts,  and  she  was  glad  of  it.  It  enabled 
her  to  co-ordinate  her  new  impressions  and  adjust  her- 
seU  to  the  new  conditions.  It  enabled  her  to  go  back 
aS9 


i^-'^mmmmmsi 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

t^th*/^"^  "**  ^'^''^  °^  "«*"  events  that  had  led 

too,  that  he  had  turned  witir^.r'      r  ^"^  P'""' 

360 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

Ihe  wa^n'^t'^K*'"'"^  ^°'^  "'*  "^^P"  °f  honor,  which 
sue  was  not  the  woman  to  descend 

She  admitted  the  justice  of  these  opinions  about 

her.  and  yet  she  knew  that  her  nature  ^"hin^as 

to  the  higher  way.  it  was  because,  in  her  bitterness  and 

SrofT'st  ^H  r  T"  ■'•  '^'»''*  --The  haM 
f^.l^(l  ^^  u  °'"'  ''^^^'^  '^t'l  herself,  only  to 
force  her  feet  into  the  less  worthy  road.     Now  she 

ht'f^"L;v^^  °" ''  *^"  '*  ''^  *-  ^-  -  --:;: 

beriSt^'^J^*"-  Y^;'''"«Iy-  Cousin  Abby  must 
be  nght.       No  man  with  any  pride  would  accept  the 

S*^  *Thar ^  '^'*'"«  ^°"«  =«  months  beWnd! 
hand       That  sentence  seemed  not  only  to  paralyze 
her  action,  but  to  prevent  her  mind  from  worLg  for! 
-tit        ,     '"''"  "°'  'hat  she  saw  herself  always 
halting  ^ong  six  months  behindhand  "  a  way  might 
have  been  found     Persis  might  have  done  som^elSlg 
la  her  own  new  happiness  she  might  have  conveyed 
some  hint  to  Muir.     But  Agatha  dared  not  ask  her 
He  was  proud  and  she  had  treated  him  disdainfully' 
She  could  see  herself  still  as  she  handed  him  back  Ws 
nng  without  a  word  of  pity  or  a  look  ot  farewell.   She 
could  see  him,  too,  as  he  opened  the  door  for  her  to 
sweep  by-guilty,  mined,  but  courteous  to  the  last 
After  long  months  of  anguish  she  was  only  beginning 

Tf  ^r^'^M  *  '"'•"""''^  "'^"  have  emptied  himself 
of  all  earthly  consideration  as  he  had  done  had  he 
not  possessed  those  saving  qualities  of  courage  that 
make  a  man.     But  it  was  too  late  for  her  to  put 

™w  ir7i.''"^^''°°  °^  *''^*  ^  "°^-  She  could 
only  let  him  work  out  his  own  salvation,  and  re- 

•61 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


dp.  herself  to  having  neither  part  nor  lot  in  the 

£reis^"^°^T^^^^^^^ 

•■irs'eLS'to"""V'  ."*'•  J°'"'  Chart'erh^us^""^' 

A  nunute  later  Charterhouse  was  ushered  in     H« 
tance     wL!)!3  J^    .  ^  *""  °^  increased  impor- 

Rovil*^  '";;''',  "ft  •"  I""  "l-t  bring,  m,  m„ 

363 


The  Steps   of   Honor 

thought  perhaps  you'd  help  us  to  pick  out  something 
shed  specially  like."  * 

Agatha  was  too  much  astonished  to  reply  at  once 
80  Charterhouse  continued. 

"I  hope  you  won't  be  offended.  Miss  Roval  but 
we  thought  that  nobody  would  know  as  well' as  you 
You  see,  w'e  can't  spend  much  money  on  it,  not  even 
when  we  all  club  together,  so  we  thought  that  some- 
thmg  real  useful  would  be  best.  We  don't  want  it  to 
be  anythmg  that  she'd  have  half  a  dozen  of  nor 
anything  that  she'd  put  away  and  forget.  We'd  Uke 
It  to  be  something  :iie'd  use  for  herself  every  day  and 

^  f  V™^'  .^"'""^  ^^°^«^^  °^  napkin-rings  and 
salad-forks  and  pickle-jars,  but  we  concluded  she'd 
have  as  many  of  those  things  as  she'd  want  So  we 
thought  that  if  we  saw  you  about  it  you'd  suggest 
something  real  unique,  that  nobody  else  would  give 
her  and  that  she  couldn't  do  without." 

"May  I  inquire,"  Agatha  asked,  "whom  you  mean 
by  we  ' 

"I  mean  Lucy  Brooks  and  Daisy  Pine  and  Edgar 
Ford  and  Harry  Hathaway  and  Murray  Johnson  «id 
all  the  rest  of  the  Roxbury  crowd  th&t  Mr.  Muir  has 
been  so  good  to." 

Agatha  started,  but  forced  herself  to  speak  calmly. 

_  Uid  Mr.  Muir  suggest  your  coming  to  me?" 
No,    Miss    Royal.     He   doesn't   know   anything 
about  It.     It's  entirely  our  own  idea.     You  see  Lucy 
Brooks  and  Daisy  Pine  and  I  are  the  committee;  and 
as  Miss  WoUaston  has  always  praised  you  up  so  and 
said  you  were  her  best  friend,  we  were  sure  you'd 
help  us.     We  don't  want  to  throw  good  money  away 
on  something  she  wouldn't  like." 
363 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

Again  Agatha  could  not  reply.  She  sat  looUn.  .♦ 
luni.  but  aUnost  without  taowi„gh"w«thlS* 
These,  then  were  the  people  of  quite  modlTstatrn 

phr^t/Kris;t^'%--jr^i 
wt;XTo;i'--v-r^^^ 

ing  to  include  her.    It  seemed  as  iTthe  daTcS 
Ch'2!?T  you're  not  offended,  Miss  Royal,"  Johnny 

him^°'-rm  th?nw"'^  tWnWng,"  Agatha  answered 

UkT'    Is  Mr  M  •^°^.  '^'^*  ***'»  Wollaston  would 
Uke.     Is  Mr.  Muir  quite— quite  well?" 

as  he  war"1?s''^';\**n^°^'^-    ««'« -*  -  well 

He  works  at  his  Writing,  I  suppose." 

Some;  but  that's  not  the  hardest  part  of  it     H« 

otthTSwdniS^  JSt  '^^  ''-'^^  -*''-- 

finals  a„TS  fofhfs  SSa^r/^Jr i^ ^ 
that  are  going  to  be  .chool-teachers;  «id Tlot  oS^ 

at  night.     It  s  all  for  iioth  ng,  too.  Miss  Rov=i.  f^ 

he  only  takes  boys  and  girls  ^ho  h;ve^t  tt'mont 

264  ' 


The   Stepf  of  Honor 

to  pay  for  superior  instruction  and  would  have  to  do 
without  It.  If  it  wasn't  for  him  they  wouldn't  be 
learning  anything  at  aU.  or  else  they'd  be  drudmne 
along  alone."  * 

"How  did  Mr.  Muir  happen  to  begin  that  work?" 
It  began  with  me.  Miss  Royal."  the  boy  said 
proudly;  and  then,  without  waiting  for  further  invi- 
tation  he  told  the  story  of  what  Anthony  Muir  had 
done  for  him.  He  told  it  with  day  and  date,  so  that 
Agatha,  putting  one  thing  with  another,  could  see 
the  boys  history  interwoven  with  the  man's.  She 
could  see  Muir,  in  helping  Johnny  Charterhouse  to 
work  out  his  penance,  working  out  his  own.  She 
could  almost  trace  the  progression  of  his  thoughts 
during  the  last  week  he  remained  at  Harvard. 

As  the  lad  talked  she  plied  him  with  questions 
In  a  few  minutes  she  knew  everything  there  was  to 
taow.    She  learned  how  Muir  had  gone  to  Greenland 
Fark,  how  he  had  lived  at  first  and  how  he  was  liv- 
ing now.     She  learned  how  he  had  taken  up  his  mis- 
sion by  teaching   French   to  Charterhouse  himself 
and  Latin  to  Lucy  Brooks.     She  learned  how  Lucy 
Brooks  had  brought  Daisy  Pine  and  Daisy  Pine  had 
brought  Edgar  Pord  and  Edgar  Ford  had  brought 
Harry  Hathaway,  and  how  the  chain  had  been  thrown 
out  farther  still.    She  learned  how,  just  by  chance, 
t-harterhouse  had  one  day  met  Paul  Dunster,  and  in 
reply  to  Dunster's  questions  told  why  he  had  left 
Harvard,  what  he  was  doing,  and  where  he  was  living 
bhe  learned  how  Charterhouse  had  mentioned  to  Dun- 
ster the  presence  in  Greenland  Park  of  Anthony  Muir 
t>he  learned  how  Persis,  inspired  by  Dunster    had 
come  to  Mrs.  Brooks  on  the  pretext  of  having  dresses 
365 


MICROCOPY   lESOLUTION    TEST  CHART 

(ANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2| 


_^  -APPLIED  IM^GE    In 

^^^  1653  Eost   Main   Street 

^Kg  Ffocfiesler.   Ne*  York         1*609       USA 

r.a^  ('16)   482  -  0300  -  Phone 

5^Z  !''6)   288 -5969  -Fox 


I  ^' 


The    Steps   of  Honor 

made  how  she  had  brought  Dunster's  books  for  Muir 

those  who  were  nearest  her,  but  of  whXshe  wTs  i^ 
norant,  because  she  had  turned  her  eyes  away  She" 
felt  scorn  of  herself  for  her  pride  for  her  harZ.«  f 

heaT  St  tSthe'J  thT^^H^  bei;  ^^.T ^"'^ 
suggestion   than   you   and   I   alone  "     clL?^'"' 
thought  the  idea  excellent  aM   o" d  she     U  wo°"fI 
put  her  more  fully  in  touch  with  Muir  .L  v      ? 
ests  than  she  coul^  be  in  anyTther  way     '•  I  shX" 

t  e^"sVeVarrcLrr  ^"^  ''^^^^'^'o'ii 

"Yes,  Miss  Royal." 
;;rn  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon?" 
les.  Miss  Royal." 

266 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

"Does  he  always  go  in  the  same  direction?" 

=„^      .  k'  '',"°''  ^''°"*  '-'''''■  ''"t  •><=  always  goes  in 
and  out  by  the  gate  just  up  from  Greenland  Park  " 
^   Itwould  be  between  two  and  four  o'clock,  I  sup- 

"Yes,  Miss  Royal." 

''Thank  you,  Mr.  Charterhouse.     Good-night,  and 

a!1  ^^t,-^°"  ^^'''"  to-morrow.     Tell  Miss  Brooks 

ami  _M,ss  Pme  what  pleasure  they'll  give  me  in  com- 

f„!^t:^°'^i!'u^  ^^'  leave-taking  clumsily,  and  was 
ftimblmg  at  the  door  when  another  idea  occurred  to 

tionlo'^M^M^''^'.*"''""'"'"  '^'  '^'^'  "don't  men- 
tion to  Mr.  Muir  that  you  saw  me  " 

"No,  Miss  Royal;  certainly  not,"  he  answered,  and 
passed  out  mto  the  hall. 

He  was  looking,  in  the  semi-obscurity  of  the  hans- 
mg-lamp.  for  his  hat  and  overcoat  when  she  hurried 
alter  mm. 

"Perhaps,"  she  said,  with  some  hesitation— "ner- 
haps  you  might  tell  him  that  you  did  see  me  " 
_  Yes,  Miss  Royal.     I'll  do  that." 

Thank  you.     Good-night. ' ' 
"Good-night,  Miss  Royal.     Thank  you  very  much  ' ' 
She  returned  to  the  library  and  listened  while  Char- 
terhouse opened  the  street  door.     In  a  minute  he 
would  be  gone,  she  thought,  and  she  might  never 
have  another  opportunity. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Charterhouse,"  she  called,  slipping  out  to 

h.m  agam      He  turned  with  his  hand  on  the  knob. 

Perhaps     she  stammered-"  perhaps,  after  all,  you 

can  say  that  I  told  you  to  tell  him  you  saw  me.     Tell 

267 


The    Steps    of  Honor 

v'lrll'rvS'?"^  ^^°«'  '>™'  -<»  *h^t  I've  been 

flaming  cheeks  lndwo„deredtw'      ?^"''-'  *°  ''^^ 

could  give  of  them  trCot"  Abt  XT'^u  \'' 

was  saying  with  a  ^  .d  of  exuftSn-        '"""  ^'^ 

1  ve  taken  the  first  step  down  toward,  hi^      r* 


XXIV 


PT  two  o  clock  on  the  following  day 
Agatha    drove    into    Franklin    Park 
J  t  ri,   the   entrance    indicated   by 

I  J  Jharterhouse.    Her  heart  beat 

,  wiiuly  and  she  was  almost  afraid  to 
look  about  her.     She  knew  she  was 

Tf  h^f  f /u"^  "°*'''"S  ''"*  ="=^«=«  could  justify 
If  she  failed  she  would  reproach  herself  all  her  life  for 

tZ^^^f  '^'  ^"''"P*-  ^''^"  ^he  saw  a  rustic 
bench  bes.de  some  yellow-flowering  shrubs  she  got 
out  of  the  carnage  and  bade  the  coachman  drive 
farther  on.  She  trembled  so  that  she  could  scarcely 
reacn  the  seat.  All  her  senses  seemed  to  merge  into 
that  of  fear-the  fear  lest  he  should  come,  and  Te 
greater  fear  lest  he  should  not  come 

fj'°1  !?"■'  '^^  '^*  "°  °"^  '=°"W  «nter  or  pass  out 
iiT\  ;  f'"''.^^  unobserved.  For  the  time  be- 
S  f  '^',^"^"  ^^*^"*  °f  ""^^d,  playstead,  and 
woodland  entirely  to  herself.  The  children  wer;  stni 
at  school,  and  it  was  too  soon  for  leisured  strollers  to 
come  and  take  the  air.     The  trees  were  in  tender  bud 

earlf  dTr,  Jr  ''''''^^I  ^"""'  ^''"^  ^^'^  ^""^  ^^ere  an 
early  dandelion  made  a  gold  spot  like  a  star.     But 

fl        /!r  """^  °^  '^''''  things,  nor  was  she  con- 
scious of  the  spring.     All  her  powers  of  vision  were 
concentrated  on  the  open  gate  through  which  her 
269 


The    Steps   of  Honor 


destiny,  for  good  or  ill,  might  come  In  H.o  h.u  u 
that  passed  she  did  not  mark  tTe  flLht  of  t  "' 
".ight  have  been  a  minute,  it  might  h'fv'e'b  nTy^^* 
When  at  last,  a  tall  figure  came  in  sight  all  capac: 
2  of  vohfon  or  intention  seemed  to  leLe  her  She 
rose  and  went  forward  by  instinct,  without  reflection 
or  conscious  thought.  It  was  as  though  she  was 
borne  onward  by  some  power  independenf  of  hersdf 
to  which  there  was  no  resistance  ' 

He  walked  slowly,  with  bowed  head    like  «  n,o„ 
overweighted  with  a  sense  of  lassitude      He  dIdTot 

ir  h?hrrd  £:r';:^ ""'" '''  --  ^^-  '^^^"^ 

•'Oh,  Anthony,  you've  turned  grayi" 

I  didn't  know  you  werp  horo  "  •         -j    „ 
Wise  I  shouldn't  have  come  '^      '     "'  '""'■     °*''^'- 
^^^Oh.  don't  say  that."  she  pleaded.     "I  waited  for 

,',T°"-yow-wanted  to  see  me.?" 

terhluTef'-*  "''  ""^^^^^^'^^t  night-from  Mr.  Char- 
170 


The    Steps    of   Honor 

su!t7z^:z' ::;"'"  ^""^  ^^""^^  ^--  =^"  ^i^- 

Iv  "••tw  r"'^  you  to  know,"  she  hurried  on.  confused- 

h.'n  -i  T'  *^'"'""«  °^  y°"-     I  tl^ougl't  that  per- 

haps you  d  let  me  help  you." 

"Help  me?" 

"In  your  work,  you  know-in  what  you're  doing 
for  tne  young  people.     Not  you-of  course,  not  you  " 
Oh,  that!     he  said,  with  the  faintest  smile  of  fa- 
tigue.      I  m  not  doing  much,  and  it's  work  in  which 
from  .t_s  very  nature,  no  one  can  be  of  service  but 

hap^s-poss.bly-,f  you  were  willing-I  might  take 

to  go  nght  on  after  her  marriage  as  she  did  before  " 
Then  something  else,"  she  urged.     "  I  don't  care 
what  It  is.     Oh,  Anthony,"  she  burst  out,  "  don't  look 
at  me  like  that!     I'm  so  sorry  for  the  past'" 

It  was  said  now— .he  very  thing  she  had  in- 
tended not  to  utter  unless  he  himself  drew  the  con- 
fession forth.  He  had  not  done  so.  It  had  come  of 
Its  own  accord.  It  had  come  because  her  heart  could 
not  keep  It  back  any  longer.  It  had  come  chiefly 
because  he  had  stood  away  from  her,  looking  at  her 
asfrom  the  other  side  of  an  unbridged  gulf 

Suppose  we  sit  down,"  he  said,  gently  "I  see 
you  re  trembling.  I'm  afraid  the  effort  of  comine 
here  has  been  too  much  for  you." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  bench  from  which  she  had 
271 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


slightly  towards  each  othef'^J"^^  'l^  ^'■'^^'  '""^ing 
vo.ce  one  .ight  use  tottds  a  cwf^'^  '"  *"«  ^^-^'y 

I  mean      shp  trfoj  *  ^-niia. 

misjudged  you  "       ^  *°  ^"^^^'•-  "that  I'm  sorry  I 

iudge'r""'^''^°'''='"'^"-<'-y-     -Vou  didn't  mis- 

"And  if,"  she  went  on— "if  tm  •, 
the  other  way,  I  should  have  taken  "°^  *''^^«  ^^^ 
What  other  wav?"!,^   "ve  taken  it. 

^    "It  wasn't  nelesW-wtt  rd^H  ^^"''^^°''^--- 
t°   say.     "I   could   have   ».  i  "^'""e  managed 

she  r:^tS  '^^^  -^'^^  *^^  -'^ficr-' he  added,  as 
gladS'-"  '''''''-"^"^  I  should  have  made  it 
tho'^irreTctinr"-     ^"'^  '^^^^^  ^n  the  ground  as 

Jast^PSlptrSf^S^V^^^-- 

I  mean  that  I  couMn°t  k        ^''^  «^°"^  °n-" 

you  might  have  been  Si*  X'm^^^^^^     '"^  ^^="«- 

awhile  you'll  see  that?  ou!d„7    /fit '^ 

other  kind  of  wrontr— T  ^  "  '*  ^ad  been  any 

wrong  which  d^t  f^irthat°a"  °'  '\°''  ^°"»^  °' 
the  position  he  happenTto  ho,d  '"!.","'^"  ^^"  ^'°™ 
respect  among  his  Ll";r!i?hri'r„?t  ty^l 


The    Steps   of   Honor 

that  it  might  have  been  otherwise.  If  you  had  been 
able  to  forgive  me  ther,  I  might  have  availed  myself 
of  that  forgiveness  and  begun  again.  But  in  'his 
case — 

"It  makes  no  diflFerence  to  me,"  she  cried. 
"But  it  does  to  me,"  he  said,  with  more  feehne  in 
his  tone  than  he  had  betrayed  hitherto.     "Out  into 
the  world  where  I  was  obliged  to  go—" 
"I  would  have  followed,"  she  said,  proudly 
But  I  couldn't  have  let  you.     Don't  you  see?    It 
wouldn  t  have  been  possible.     It  would  have  been 
worse   than   everything   I   had   done   before.     You 
would  have  wanted  to  comfort  me—" 
"Yes,  yes." 

"But  you  would  have  made  me  more  unhappy 
It  was  bad  enough  to  suffer  alo.ne,  but  if  I  had  made 
you  suffer,  too — " 

"You  couldn't  save  me  from  that.  I  did  suffer 
as  It  was. 

"Yes,  of  course.  That  couldn't  be  helped  That 
was  an  inevitable  part  of  the  wrong  I  did  you  But 
at  least  you  suffered  in  your  own  home  and  among 
your  own  friends  and  with  a  prospect  of  consolation 
sometime,  before  you.  No,  believe  me,  you  mustn't 
reproach  yourself.  Don't  try  to  take  from  me  the 
one  poor  ray  of  satisfaction  which  lights  up  my  life— 
that  I  saved  you  from  bearing  my  name  and  sharing 
my  downfall.  * 

"Oh  Anthony,"  she  moaned,  "you  don't  under- 
Stand! 

"I  do  understand.  I  understand  that  the  winter 
has  been  hard  for  you-perhaps  as  hard  as  it's  been 
lor  me.     And  now  you're  tired " 

m 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


;;iam.    I'm  more  than  tired." 
■ftnd  It  seems  to  you  a<i  if  tu^ 
perhaps  the  happiest  thrngwoufdhTf"''*  *'''"^'  ""'^ 
to  blot  out  the  last  tewmnZT       !  ^°^  y°"  ^"^  nie 
°"r  life  from  the  days  Xnw.  «       .^  '°  P'^''  "P 
gan--  "*'*  *"«"  we  first  began  to-be- 

use^themordli-r™"^'^'     "^  '^''^  -»  dare  to 

But    we   couldn't    do   it"    h 
couldn't  blot  out  what  IV»  V  "-esumed      "We 

°'^Bit%::i^„j«^-VAt::er^^^^ 

'■NotiiretnrXV""'^''^-^^'!- 
-djs^^.,  to  %Jtl-^.- X.^''"  ^°" 

t.e_cp%:';V' VoSltTyet"  *'"  "'"^  °^  •"'*- 

all  I  can  pray  f^r''^  "•'*"•     You'll  forget  me.    Ifs 
"And  you'll  forget  me,  too.?" 

^Cretotuestl^S-J^r-'^  -  "-"^  "PS- 
•natter  of  indifference"  -'Ani  v"  '"''''•  ''  "  "  "='«  « 
to  remember.    But  I  shallti.  °"  "  '^''*'  ^  have 

"Vo..M  u  '"^  <^°«e  again?" 

for  us  both  if  we  consider  thl^.'   .  '  '*  '^'"  ^*  ^^^^r 
"And  the  work.?    Can't  I  I     ''"7'''^  ""^■" 
"There's  nothing  to  L  i        ^"Vthing?" 

d„  „  tmng  to  be  done-nothing  you  could 

»7* 


The   Steps    of  Honor 


"You  turn  me  away,  then?" 

His  dreams  of  the  past    dream.:  th,f 
have  any  reali^ation  unfil  he  wafe    '     01''","'^'.^ 

tha^ifZib^tS^KSj^-^-yrsay 
again."  "'"  "  ^^  "'dn  t  meet 

Of 'deSriS  tpSr' ••'nl'"  ^"^  't-  ■■"  ^  '°- 
anything  i„  the  world  that's  w^rth^""  ^u"^  """^'^ 
-e  as  Jong  as  you  and  rl^elTke  Z>  '''  ^"  '° 

questiofof  Chirrs:;  :lt'\  r  ^f-  ^^^-  ^'-^  ^ 

left,  but  I  should  have  none  at  aitfT  , '""'.''  """"^ 
come  down  from  your  position  tn  V    "°'^^'^  y°"  *° 

"But  if  I  wanted  to^'^    f  t  wl^  t,V'  ""'""" 
I  couldn't?"  ""''aslalhng  me  because 

in  tl""''*  discouraged  because  you're  tired  "  h.  -a 
"J  the  same  monotonous  tone  "ZTv  '  ^""'• 
must  know  that  your  battle  i,  h-lf  ."^  '"'^  y°" 

courage  and  you^l  be  st'on^L      .  r^     ^  ''"'^  "'"■'^ 
-a  year  henl.  at  most-"^        ^  ^""^  '"°°*''«  hence 
She  rose,  wearily 

»7S 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


m 


ate  myself  for  nothint.      v     • 

«''ouldn-t  have  come  onlv  th  ?,''"f''^">-  pitiless.     I 

"■•^t  we  both  felt  aTwe  S,I  rfi.'°"r  'i'  '"'  «^"""='' 

"'eI';s;t^f£^^;;:^■""■"^  *"-'••  He 

ever.     If.s  all  r  have."  '  '""'■'=  '°  ""=  than 

"Then  whv — '"  ci,»  «, 

••  Because  I  can't  '"heT^^J.V^Sr'  «"  °-r  again, 
^an.     Because  it  isn't  no"   w  '^'^'^''use  I  never 

to  me-not  any  more' than    f        ^"".'°  ^"'""^  J"''" 
climb  up  to  you.''  ■*"  "  ''  P°^«''>e  for  me  to 

She  moved  out  of  th*v  ch«,ku 
and  towards  the  carriage  ""^  '"'°  ""=  '°=dway 

7'<!i:S:?t':£';j'::^^-He  walked  beside  her- 

between  me  a"ndV  r^UIr  ""^'  '  ^^^  -- 
me."  "y  comfort  there  may  be  left  for 

?:^'^^'^^t^:Zif  '-'''-''•  •'' ' 

"appy  and  with  this  all  b:h  n'djou-"  '''"  "^"^^^ 

'Antiry!^;L''--'i^r'^-"-tedhim. 

ever  be  happy  again"  iV  '^°  ^°"  ^^^"V  think  I  can 
you  don't  IZ:Z:  I  eou°dn'tV'\'"°"  "'^'  ^"' 
't  was,  and  now-since  we  havl.!  u'"  ^""^Py  ^' 
t.on-less  than  ever  I'vTdonr  ^'^  ""'  "^""^e^^^" 
an  would  have  done-"  ''''^'  "°  °ther  wom- 

he'm'Jrmutd"'""'"  """'"^  ''^^^  ^«-  "oble  enough." 
276 


'■""f' 


The    Steps    of   Honor 


,fo<  n?  *'"'7"  "'^'"^'^ "  y°"'  f''"  »"'l  yu  wouldn't 
haw.  a.  .f  happmcss  were  a  com.noU.ty  at  con,: 

harder  for,!,?,?"''  ^''^-  '^°"  ""'^"'^  '^ink  it  isn't 
nardcr  for  mo  than  for  any  one.  I've  just  one  Lit  nf 
mspirafon  that  gives  me  strength  for  il-I'm  savin, 
you  fro„,  yourself.     It  takes  all  the  moral  f^rc^vf 

'  Oh  don':":  ?.°''  '  ""  ""  "•  ^"  f"'"-  yea^i^'' 
minS.  '  /  "'"'  '°  ™'=  °f  J"^"-^'"  «he  cried,  with  a 
mmghng  of  exasperation   and   despair.     "It's   bad 

ronShlt."'"  '°  ""'"'  ''"■  '^y-  --^-^  ■-"■"8 1' 
"And  yet  the  years  pass."  he  said,  as  thev  becran 

^  vou  th?/  ^Tu-  '""^  ^°"'"  '^'^"^  ^  "f«  "'"^e  worthy 
o  you  than  r  -vthmg  you  could  have  with  me.     If  I 

tt  ^"    '  f  ">"<=■'- y«^.  let  me  say  it  just  this 

once  again-.     I  didn't  love  you  so  much  so  verv 

tTme'  rt"r.\"'""  "^^  J°y  you'rTholdng  ou? 
to  me.  But  it's  because  I  do  love  you  that  I  feiect 
your  sacrifice  in  order  to  claim  the  place  for  mTne'' 

real7thV:Sf "'  '"°"'"  '''  ''''•  ^''^"  '''^^ 

,„JT°',Tv"  '"'"''•"  ^^  --etumed,  quietly.     "The  last 
word  will  be  with  Time.    For  me  Time  will  be  sho  te 
now  since  you've  come-this  once  " 

youtnVf:;  m^.^'"  '^""^  ^^^'"•"  ^-^^  -'^-  "->ess 
"It  will  be  better  so,"  he  agreed,  dully 
Her  tears  began  to  flow  in  spite  of  all  her  efforts 
'77 


The   Steps    of  Honor 

after  self-control,  and  she  stepped  up  hastilv  info  * .. 
carnage  without  his  help.    Then  she  tu^'i^    f  u  ^ 
out  her  hand.  turned  and  held 

"Good-bye,"  she  murmured. 
"cJ^i  "''f'.^"'  ^^""^  ^°d  kissed  it. 
i.^^-^^C^odXr.ooX^^'^^''  ''  '-'  '^^^ 

aching  w^riaT  She  ^.Ik^-*'.'"'^-'^*''  ^  «^«at. 
she  hfd  bee'iirsom'eltSiTomtaT'  iTV^  " 

refreshment.       ^  ^'^  '"*''  *  '^"^«  °^  "•»««'.  Physical 

repeat°ed't?hers:if  "^u"".';  h'°"'*>^'^  "«'»*■"  «»»« 
we  consider  Slo  be^thTend  •■ "'"  '"'  "^  ^'^^^  " 

through  trbCtLothtrrw'-^r^^^ 
after  vague  recouLions  of  a  p  ^'ture^^^^^^^^^^^  ^^'^ 
some  gallerv  abronH     o     •  7  *^"^ .  "^^  ^he  had  seen  m 

being  flainTyMde         "^ '*"'  '°  '"^'''  ^°^«  -«^ 


XXV 


PHE  warm  June  afternoon  was  closing 
Tand  Mrs.  WoUaston  was  waiting  for 
I  her  husband  to  come  home  to  dinner. 
I  It  was  unusual  for  him  to  be  out  so 
I  late,  unless  it  were  at  some  protracted 
meeting  of  the  Faculty.     It  was  the 
day  after  the  wedding,  and  she  had  spent  it  in  trying 
to     tidy  up"  the  disordered  house.     She  had  gone 
trom  room  to  room,  sighing  over  its  emptiness  now 
that  Persis  was  no  longer  there.     She  took  the  con- 
tents of  drawers  and  hung  them  up  in  closets,  and  she 
took  the  contents  of  closets  and  folded  them  up  in 
drawers.     Now  and  then,  when  she  found  anything 
that  belonged  to  Persis,  she  sighed  more  heavily  and 
brushed  and  smoothed  and  patted  it  with  special  care. 
An  hour  ago,  when  she  had  come  across  the  quaint 
httle  suit  in  which  the  tiny  orphan  of  four  years  old 
had  been  brought  to  make  her  home  with  them,  she 
sat  down  and  had  what  she  called  "a  good,  refreshing 
cry.      After  that  she  felt  better,  and  began  to  won- 
der what  in  the  world  could  detain  Mr.  WoUaston  so 
long.     She  kept  at  her  work,  however,  and  did  not 
near  him  when  he  opened  the  street  door. 
•'Fanny!"  he  called,  loudly.     "Where  are  you?" 
"I'm  here.  Hector,"  she  answered,  running  from 
'79 


The   Steps  of  Honor 


stood  in  the  hall  below  '"*'*  "?  *°  »>«'. «  he 

''There's  the-what,  Hector?" 
1  said  the  devil  and  if  ♦»,.■« 
tha.  the  devil  it  1^  be  thai ""  ""'^'^"^  """^ 

,  But  I  can't  think—" 

thin?'  "^^S:  Z:^-'  '^-i..    Nobody  ever  could 
the  Z'Ji'ZZli:''  '""^  "^«'''  «««-«  over 

o^|?:roSttr/;brd^--- attitude 

Mrs.  Wollaston  ^sJJZd  a^f^     "^'-    '^^'''''" 
astonishment.         ""^P'^y^d  a  disappointing  lack  of 

to  cio  it  or  go  LtVfd^iTnrTtr.^'^^''^''^- 
again."  "ecune.     So  they're  engaged 

"They'reworsethan  enpacTB^-  *u     . 
ried."  "'"engaged,  they're  nearly  mar- 

melnrSeadyt^edr"    '^''  ^^^^  <^°  ^ou 

to.mS"'°  '""'^  ^-    They're  going  to  be  married 

Mrs.  Wollaston  uttered  a  Ji»i,t 

"To-night.?    To-night?   wi^    "^"°•• 

"I'm  the  only  one  who's ^an.  ''  T  ^'^  '^^^" 

»nd  my  mind  is  going  fast  •''  ^  ^^  ^  ^  can  see; 

980 


!  knew 
'.as  he 

worse 

could 

over 

itude 

DW." 

ire!" 
k  of 

lent, 
lave 
iged 

lar- 

l^ou 

ied 


The  Steps  of  Honor 

"And  mine  wiU  be  clean  gone  if  you  don't  tell  me 
this  very  minute  what  it's  all  about." 

theSSt'Jlfl".*""^'"  *?/  ^'°^^°'  explained,  "is 
sid  fmll^  K  ^-"^^  ""•  J°'^"y  Charterhous;.  I 
said  from  the  beginmng  that  that  boy  should  have 
been  put  in  pnson.  and  it's  a  thousand  pities  that  he 
wasn't  sent  there  for  life." 
"What  can  he  have — ?" 

t21i^'^'^^  *••**  **'^'' ''  in-been  ill  for  some  time 
Trouble  and  overwork,  the  doctor  says,  but  I  don^t 
beheve  It.    Anyhow,  they've  all  been  worried  about 

^^  J  ^^  *^  *'^'  ^'^"S  ^^  *hat  thing,  but  nothing 
does  him  any  good.     Then  my  lord  Johnny  Charter 
house  gets  it  into  his  head  that  he  knows^he  cu 
SS:  ?«"  •■  ''''''"'  ^'''  -'^  '^^  -^^  straight 

and^^^^S^r^-"^^^^^^^^^^^ 
napped.     The  next  thing  I  know,  Johnny  Charter 
house  travels  after  me  and  catch;,  me  w^i'm 
uH^tw  a'  "r^^^husetts.    All  I  can  S«  from 
position.     OflE  I  have  to  go  with  him  to  a  place  called 

"And  what  then i"' 
-.u'T^®",!'™  "marched  up-stairs  into  a  room-  and 

'^^    l^fu'  T^^'  ^^'  ^  ''^'^  ^  Ws  face." 

W.?.u  P°°\^«"°"'    "°^  ^^  ""St  have  suffered! 
Was  there  nobody  with  him?"  ""creai 

aSt 


The  Steps   of  Honor 


hon.e.     I  could  ZT^^^'^^^^'!^'^^  'i^^  at 
But  you  didn't— >••  ^' 

"And  none  JZtbe^r^      *"  "^'^  *°-'^«ht." 

hea'r?th1  haV'jIt'  ye^f'  Cr"'  ^"'^  "--'* 
gether  and  be  ovJr  th^™  ^!uV°  «"*  y°«««W  *»- 
your  soul,  I-m  to  S  h^^l*  by  half-past  eight.    Bless 

man.  or  t'-otK?  fo^dTEv'e^r''*  *°  '^  ''^^ 
turvy  that  it  doesnVrtt  1^^'  '^  ^  *°P^^- 

thist,*rSg'r'haTLtS"-  ?^^"  ""•«  -«  •>- 
mu^n.  Sh^e  rd^^trSd'irttT^*  ^^"'^ 
attended  ralfrat'^lJey^^'^  Charterhouse  has 
I-ggett  to  pa  f  ht  up  a  Je^T  """^  «°*  ^''f ^ 
never  saw  such  a  boy  "  ^^  trousseau.    You 

m^^d  in?ucr:'hiiT  '"7.P-P'''  ^-«  ^« 

there  laws  about  it^'^^^'P'^^'^'^y  ''^y-    Aren't 
"Oh,  we've  kept  all  of  ttena,"  the  professor  said. 


The   Steps   of  Honor 

ironicall:'.    "Johnny  Charterhouse  looked  out  for 
that.    You  d  never  believe  the  indignity  to  which  he 
subjected  me. 
"You,  Hector!" 

AlmI?hT'  ^*?°y-™e  in  my  own  proper  person. 
Almost  before  I  knew  what  they  were  driving  at,  or 
who  wanted  to  be  marrieU  and  who  didn't!  I  was 
marched  oflE  with  Agatha  to  get  a  Ucense-just  as  if  I 

S^itl  m'k°u^' *«' ^^^' color.and  howmany 
fames  they  d  both  been  married  before,  and  the  Lord 

iTJLZ^\^'^^'J^  ~'*  ««  ^^y  «°ts,  and 
Agatha  didn  t  so  much  as  hint  at  returning  it.    It's 

iZ^  u?de«takr.°'"^'^-    ""  ^°-  ^-  ^  — - 

"  I  shouldn't  understand  if  I  were  a  horse,  let  alone 

thZ^"^""' .,,*^^°r*'^'  savagely.     "There  are  things 

Lv  J  w.*'''  '*°".*'  °*  •''''"^  comprehension-'pon 
my  soul  there  are!"  *^ 

"But  I  shouldn't  call  this  one  of  them.  Hector. 
When  two  people  love  each  other  as  Agatha  and  Mr 
Mmr  evidently  do,  then  there's  no  si  .  the  one  sfde 
which  won't  be  pardoned  on  the  otht.  not  unless  "- 
she  coughed  and  colored  before  she  could  finish  her 
sentence-  not  unless  it's  habitual  unfaithfuhiess." 
Even  so,  they  could  be  married  in  an  open,  re- 
spectable manner." 

"Everything  depends  on  circumstances,  dear  "  she 

"r^"^'  ^M*'^-     1^^  '^^^  Soes  out  to  Aga;ha.  I 

must  say.    No  one  but  a  woman  can  know  how  much 

a83 


The  Steps  of  Honor 


everybody  else.  Th"  Zu's^^-"  ?'  ^^«°'l°n«<i  by 
•  it  something  of  tbem^tr^T  "^^"y'  »""  '« 
privedofitsyounJco^°d™ff;,  **  no  creature  de- 
Agatha  sufferTtefy  It  £.  T''  '^T  ^'"^  «««" 
to  see  him  and  hear  his  vo,V    ".■  ^'"'  ""'^  t''*  "^ed 

to  give  out  the  t "LiresSe  an?"  *'*'  "!f'^  '°  *'' 
tion  that  everv  ao^H  ^  ,    '^'^  "'''' *nd  protec- 

you  can't  KeH  TrrTth^  ''"'"  '''^-  °^- 
•lidn't  feel  so  when  the  t^hi  '"T"'*'^  ^''^  ^^^ 
s-  that  she's  onf;  SeV Xw  l^rai^  ^  A^"*  ' 

That's  all  there  is  Lbout  ft     T    f  T  f  ''^^«  h*""- 
the  same.     ltZhL„TLr'    ^  ^''°"'d  feel  precisely 

and  found  youTlf^JSjLT  I''  ^°"^  *°  ^°" 
have  stayed  by  yo^beS    ""l^^^P^  ^  'should 
;;0h,  my  dearXnyr      •  ^""'^  °'  *'"^'«-" 

sh  Jrhave''siTy7d"7h'«t~°'',7r«'*-^"*  »•>«'«  I 
ried  me  if  thl^Tad  liS^^  Sy  c^uM  h^  ""  "■"- 
«e  with  a  curtain-ring  or  a  Snitk  bl^'t'^''' 

p~hi;;:e'drr?oivr:;  ,*^-*'-rt! 
5!"  What.  fri^r'^'T:rJziX":n^r 
wrmStaTo^;;ii-jr?°^^^^^^^ 

other  man-thouph  T  h=,      u'^      **  Perhaps  to  any 


The   Steps  of  Honor 

heard.    You  didn't  know,  perhaps,  that  as  soon  as 
Muir  can  be  moved  they're  planning  to  spend  their 
honeymoon  at  our  cottage  at  the  sea-side." 
"Well,  that  does  stagger  me,"  she  admitted. 
'  I  thought  it  would,  ma'am." 
"  But  if  you've  asked  them.  Hector—" 
"I?    Not  a  bit  of  it.     I'd  scarcely  begun  to  think 
of  It  before  the  thing  was  done.     The  very  words 
were  taken  out  of  my  mouth.     Something  was  said 
about  his  having  sea-air  and  sympathy— I  don't  just 
know  what— and  before  I  knew  where  I  was,  I  was  -  U 
tangled  up  and  they  had  it  settled.     I  wash  my  ha,    s 
of  It;  but  I  knew  that  that  would  bowl  you  over  if 
nothing  else  would." 

"But  I'm  not  sure.  Hector,"  she  said,  in  her  slow 
reflectmg  tone,  "that  it  wouldn't  be  a  good  thing 
We  could  cut  the  door  we've  so  often  talked  of  be- 
tween the  guest-room  and  Persis's  room,  and  we 
could  repaper  them  both  and—" 

"Oh,  that's  it.  Build  the  house  over  again  " 
•  Vmsure  it  would  be  a  good  thing,"  she  cried,  with 
conviction.  "  It  would  be  a  good  thing  in  every  way. 
If  we  have  them  under  our  protection,  as  it  were  no 
one  can  say  a  word.  All  the  college  people  will  see 
how  we  feel,  and— and  it  mil  make  a  difference.  Be- 
^des  that  now  that  dear  Peisis  won't  be  there, 
Agatha  will  be  company  for  you." 

''And  Muir  for  you,  I  suppose  you  mean  " 
Oh,  as  long  as  you're  there.  Hector,  I  have  all  the 
company  I  want." 

fi,r°°*  *,f°''f  °"  '"^-     ^'"^  "°*  ^"""e  that  I  shall  be 
there  at  all.    I  sha'n't  be  long  for  this  world  if  things 
keep  happening  as  they're  doing  now  " 
»8s 


The   Steps   of  Honor 


He^offt  tratiirrrtf  ""''■  "-"^  *-«^  "- 

The  meal  was  Lien  h^y^^^  P«Parations. 
Each  had  n,aC  KhoS?  "^t  "'"T  '"  "•-=«• 
h>s  httle  Pe«is,  and  w^feL J  *  P'°^«'ssor  missed 
jnany  weeks  it  ;ould  ^before  sh^"^  T''  "'"^^'^  ''°'' 
honeymoon  abroad.  Mrs  WoH^f  "'*"™''*  ^«"»  ^er 
but,  in  spite  of  everythL  h-  •°°.™'^''  ••«''  ^°°: 
*nd,  in  a  certain  sX^  chU  J,,"""*^  '"'^^"'^  ^W, 
«he  would  make  inTh;  coU^IT  *'"  '='''"'«^ 
twcupation.  '-""age  for  the  new  guests' 

Persis's  weddin/^yS  "'^  °C  '''f  ''*''  ^°™  «» 
like  a  lady,  at  !ny  «te  sL  ^  ^°1^^  ^  ^^<^ 
put  them  on.     ^       *'  '''*  ^"^^  *»  he«elf,  as  she 

Mr"?5^X^ol'^t^t^^^^^^^^^ 

her  in.  ™  "'  *"«  door  open,  to  hand 


THB   END 


*ey  htir- 
ions. 
I  <ilence. 
T  missed 
:tly  how 
■nm  her 
ier,  too; 
I  busily, 
changes 
guests' 


o  array 
TOm  at 
iressed 
as  she 

there. 
>hand 


le  ap- 
is she 
^ered, 

each 
t86i, 
rthe 


